Allow Me to Introduce
by OracleDru
Summary: A prequel to my story The Visitor. In this story, Nicole visits SG1 for the first time and falls for Daniel Jackson. Spoilers for seasons 4 and 5, 6 in the future. Chapter 8 now up!
1. Chapter 1

Allow Me to Introduce: Prequel to "The Visitor"

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Stargate SG1 or its characters. I do not own the idea of the Q species, that right is owned by the writers of Star Trek: the Next Generation. I do own the character of Nicole, however, please do not use her without my prior permission.

Chapter One

The house was dark and the absurd toothpick the paranoid alien had placed on the inside of the door to detect intruders remained undisturbed. The small woman within the room with curly red hair sighed impatiently and tried to perch her body onto a nearby table, wincing when her rear landed on a toy ray gun. Not that it had been painful – she hadn't experienced physical pain in over a century.

Finally there was a rapping against the door, followed by a woman's voice, "Hello?" Then there was an almost inaudible clicking sound penetrating the silence.

"At last," thought the woman in the house, a smile finding its way onto her face. Someone outside was picking the lock. The door opened, spilling sunlight onto the rug, its rays catching in the snow globe near the window, the one that held a scene of tiny spacemen greeting green aliens onto their planet. And if the woman waiting within the room filled with science fiction paraphernalia hadn't been invisible to mortal eyes at the time, she would have been spotted by the three curious Air Force employees who entered.

"Oh boy," the first one whispered as she took her first steps inside, followed closely by two men. This woman was a good five inches taller than the one who stood in the room unseen, and she had very short blonde hair. It was a military cut, that much was plain to the red haired woman. The clothes of the taller woman, however, did not give away her employment to the military, being jeans, a matching jacket and a bright orange turtleneck.

"Something tells me we don't need to worry about this guy," the man who entered after the woman stated. The invisible red head sucked in her breath at the sight of him. He was tall, with dark brown hair and glasses, behind which the woman knew were beautiful ocean colored eyes. She could tell he had rippling muscles to go with his broad shoulders, even though they were hidden by a black jacket and a shirt that matched his eyes. Yes, this was a handsome man.

The man who had entered last was silent, his chocolate eyes surveying the room with interest – and the unseen observer was almost certain there were traces of eye shadow on his eyelids, despite the dim light and the brimmed hat that cast a small shadow over his eyes. She knew, however, the hat's true purpose was the cover the gold tattoo that had been emblazoned onto his forehead years earlier. He, too, wore dark clothing, an obvious attempt to be inconspicuous.

"Except for the fact that he happens to be very close to the truth," the blonde answered the handsome man with glasses as the three of them began looking around the house. She stopped beside a small grey alien with a big head that was resting upon a table. "He looks familiar," the Air Force woman said simply and moved away to another table filled with different objects to study.

At that moment, an unusual sound caused the blonde woman and the man with glasses to turn toward their companion, both a little startled. The man with the hat had picked up the toy gun and pressed the trigger, causing the red lights to flare and a siren-like sound to fill the otherwise quiet room. "It would appear this weapon is ineffective," the man stated, apparently very serious. The red haired woman giggled and noticed the blonde woman give her friend's statement a small smile.

The handsome man made his way to the kitchen, opening the shades for better light and pulling cabinet doors toward him peering inside each one. "Oh, hello," he commented when the sight of a great number of medicine bottles greeted him. "Sam, you're going to want to take a look at this," he called to the blonde still in the dark room lined with green glow-in-the-dark stars.

She went to see what her friend was about, leaving the tall black man still playing with the fake gun. "Whoa, that's quite a collection," she commented, her eyes wide when she took in the sight her friend had discovered. "Tranquilizers, anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, looks like our friend here was being treated for a number of psychotic problems."

"Yeah, why doesn't that surprise me?" the man beside her asked as he turned to look at the collection of alien paraphernalia in the room behind them. He took off toward it, leaving Sam alone in the kitchen to examine the pills in her glove covered hand.

The red haired woman finally lost her patience. Not having much to begin with may have been a large part of the problem, but in any case she figured she had waited long enough. She snapped her fingers and in a flash of brilliant, blinding white light she made her presence known to the three intruders.

There was an immediate reaction to her self-disclosure. The blonde and the big black man immediately pulled out weapons and trained them on the new arrival, the black man's clicking audibly into firing position. She had expected as much, of course, knowing these people were part of the military and were trained to be cautious. They were probably also trained to expect the unexpected but she bet they probably didn't expect her to appear out of thin air.

"Identify yourself," the man with the hat commanded in a low voice.

The woman slowly circled the three of them the best she could in the cramped room. When she came to a stop, she smiled softly and commented almost to herself, "None of your pictures do you justice. Especially not yours." With the last remark, she motioned to the man with the glasses, who cleared his throat and directed his attention to Sam.

"How did you get here?" the blonde woman asked, motioning with her gun, her eyes drifting to the ceiling momentarily before focusing once again on the stranger. "Was that some kind of beaming technology?"

The woman in question laughed and shook her head, her curls bouncing wildly, "You humans think in such three-dimensional terms. Sometimes it's a wonder to me how you manage in such a five-dimensional universe."

Brown eyebrows descended toward eyeglasses, black ones lifted, blonde ones dipped inward toward her nose, confused expressions transforming the faces before the unaffected red haired woman. The man with glasses stepped forward and replied, "Excuse me? Did you say five-dimensional?"

She waved him off, green eyes rolling, and answered in a nonchalant tone, "Oh, it doesn't matter. I'm not supposed to say those kinds of things. Something about preserving the timeline or some such nonsense."

"You're from the future?" the blonde asked incredulously, her defensive position weakening slightly, her gun dipping toward the floor a little.

The smaller woman shrugged and picked up a three inch alien action figure from behind her on the desk, turning it over in her hand nervously. "Yeah, I'm a bit of a time traveler," she answered hesitantly. "And this was not at all how I imagined meeting three of the greatest heroes of all time."

"Of all time?" the handsome man asked, an embarrassed grin sneaking upward on his cheeks as he pushed his glasses over the bridge of his nose. His two companions glanced at each other and slowly lowered their weapons.

"Yeah, you – all of you – SG1, I mean – was the only thing I actually enjoyed about history class. Was more into science and engineering myself," at this, she flashed Sam a smile, then continued, "Which is ironic because now I'm more focused on history because of time traveling and all."

"So you're human?" Sam asked.

"No way in hell," the red head replied without missing a beat, apparently very opposed to the idea. "Used to be – a very long time ago."

"Used to be?" the man with glasses repeated with a puzzled expression.

The woman nodded. "Yes, used to be. Now I'm a Q – and no, you haven't heard of us before," the woman answered. "We are a species that pretty much keeps to ourselves until the twenty-fourth century. But I couldn't help but use my abilities to manipulate time and space to meet SG1."

"You can manipulate time and space?" Sam asked, looking doubtful.

"Yes, every Q can. It's part of what we are. You remember that flash earlier? That's how we get around." She flashed the man with glasses a smile. "You believe me, don't you, Daniel?"

Again he cleared his throat. "It would be nice if _we_ knew _your_ name."

"Oh, shit, I knew I forgot something important!" Sam and Daniel exchanged a glance, both probably making a mental note about the woman's choice in language, but otherwise didn't interrupt. "I can't believe I forgot the fracking introductions."

"Fracking?" Sam and Daniel questioned in unison.

"Alternative universe language, not important," the woman answered. "My name is Nicole, and I am originally from the twenty-fourth century. And you are Major Carter, Dr. Daniel Jackson, and Teal'c. Mind if I call you Sam and Daniel?" Nicole asked but continued without waiting for a reply. "Thanks. Oh, this is so exciting!" At this point, she let out an excited squeak and clapped her hands together. The three members of SG1 glanced at each other with matching raised eyebrows.

Sam turned back to Nicole and asked carefully, "So what are you doing _here_?"

"Waiting to meet you, of course."

"But why here, why now? If you have the ability to travel time, why not another point in our history?"

Nicole nodded in understanding and responded, "I'm flying under the radar, trying not to get caught. If the Continuum knew I was doing this, I would be in a lot of trouble."

"The Continuum?" Daniel asked, obviously intrigued by the infrastructure of a newly discovered race.

She nodded. "They're like a body of elders. They make and enforce our laws. I'm breaking a few just by being here. That's why I started jogging Martin's memories and got him to contact Colonel O'Neill."

"_You're_ the reason Martin Lloyd contacted us?" Sam asked, looking a little annoyed. "How exactly is that 'staying under the radar' with your elders?"

"He never knew I was here. Being a muse isn't against our laws. But allowing you to see and talk with me is." She sighed and pulled her white sleeve up as if to check a watch, but her wrist was bare save for a few random freckles. "Speaking of, it's probably time for me to get going. I've been off their radar a little too long." Replacing the sleeve, she smiled at them and continued, despite the confused looks they were giving her. "Don't worry, we'll definitely meet again. Have fun with Martin!" There was another flash of white light, and she was gone before any of them could object.

"Well, that was odd," Daniel commented to his friends, sliding his glasses off his nose and squinting at them as if they had caused him to start seeing things that weren't really there. Shaking his head, he finally decided to clean the lenses on his shirt and put them back on his face.

"Yeah," Sam replied, her own eyes still glued to the spot where their new "friend" had disappeared.

Teal'c tilted his head downward toward Daniel. "Agreed, Daniel Jackson. That encounter was most strange indeed."

Rays of sunlight streamed through the otherwise drab and colorless warehouse, illuminating the only table in the large, almost empty building. Behind this table with their backs facing the door and their hands and feet tied to the hard metal chairs sat Major Samantha Carter and Dr. Daniel Jackson. With nothing but their own perception to gauge the time, the pair was uncertain for how long they had been left alone, but it felt like hours has passed without any word from their captors.

Sighing, Daniel turned to his blonde companion, who today had chosen a brilliant red collared shirt covered by a thin black business jacket. "You know, at times like this, it sure would be helpful to have a powerful being to help us out of sticky situations."

"Oh, you mean like a Q?" Sam replied coyly, definitely catching his drift.

As if on cue, a flash of light appeared before them, so bright they had to close their eyes and look away. When they looked back, they were greeted by the sight of the same red haired woman they had met the day before, this time dressed in a long flowing white Grecian robe. In her hand was an apple, one she brought up to her smiling lips while her green eyes surveyed the humans before her with interest. "You rang?" she asked before biting into the red fruit.

"Were you just in Ancient Greece?" the archeologist asked with great interest, his eyes as wide as saucers.

Nicole giggled, but Sam was not amused. "Daniel, we don't have time for that. Those men could be back at any moment."

"Ah, right," Daniel said, hurriedly asking the Q before them, "So could you get us out of here?"

If it were possible, Nicole smiled wider. "Discussing Ancient Greece with you is a pleasure I hope to someday soon enjoy. But interfering with the natural flow of events here is something I can't do."

"It's because of you we're in this mess," Sam pointed out. "The least you can do is conjure up a knife and free us from these restraints."

Nicole shook her head and placed her apple on the table, swinging her legs around so they were now dangling seductively in front of Daniel. "Sorry, no can do. I'm already on a short leash as it is with the elders. And as much as I would love to save your asses –" Pausing for a moment, she leaned over to get a better glimpse of Daniel's rear and continued off on her own little tangent, "That would be a nice ass to save –" Straightening, she looked over at Sam apologetically and said, "Sorry, Sam, I'm sure yours is nice, too, but I'm not into checking out female asses –"

"So you're saying you can't help us," Daniel interrupted, his patience wearing thin and the annoyance beginning to show.

The woman before him pouted, and folding her arms across her chest, replied in a mock hurt tone, "You don't have to get snappy about it."

"This is getting us nowhere," the man with glasses told his companion. "What do you think of those men?"

It because apparent that the restrained pair was going to ignore their visitor when Sam answered, "I don't know. I don't get this. These guys know what a symbiote is, but if they were really NID, they'd know Teal'c isn't a security threat."

"I don't know. This is why I hate working for the government. Every department has its own agenda, its own little secret," Daniel replied dismally.

"Very true, Dr. Jackson," a voice responded from the door. Sam and Daniel's head whipped around to see the owner of the voice before turning back to Nicole. She had vanished without a trace, apple and all.

"Clear the area!" Colonel Jack O'Neill yelled as he, his team, and Martin ran out of the warehouse and took flying leaps onto the hard black pavement outside. Martin landed first, followed by Jack and Sam, who landed onto her side next to her CO, Teal'c with his arm sticking out an odd angle, and finally Daniel, who flipped entirely over, narrowly missing his head, which landed in the complete opposite direction of his comrades.

Unnoticed leaning against the brown and white wall of the still standing building, Nicole cringed at the thought of the needless pain her favorite band of interstellar heroes had just endured. Snapping her fingers, she quickly eased some of it and prayed the Continuum wouldn't notice her slight slip of protocols. She then watched as they all lifted their heads in surprise, Jack and Sam regarding Martin with quiet anger written on their features.

"Well?" SG1's commander asked the paranoid alien.

Confused, Martin glanced at the device in his hands and replied, "That's weird, I'm sure this is a countdown to some kind of detonation."

Nicole laughed, causing the five people on the ground to look at the woman, who was now clad in contemporary clothes – ones not unlike the ones the blonde who was lying on the ground next to her CO was wearing. "Those were all spectacular leaps," the Q informed them lightly, offering a hand to Daniel. He ignored it but stood to his feet, wiping off his jeans as they watched the others do the same. "Oh, come on, Daniel," Nicole protested, "You can't still be upset with me. Your cute little ass got saved even without my help."

Colonel O'Neill was beside the small woman in moments. "This her?" he asked Teal'c as he looked the stranger up and down.

"Indeed, O'Neill," the Jaffa replied.

"She doesn't look like much," Jack remarked.

"Uh . . . excuse me? Can anyone tell me what's going on here? Who's she?" It was Martin, who was curious even till the end.

Jack shook his head and clapped Martin on the shoulder. "Come on, Marty, let's get you home."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

In only a few weeks, Nicole had visited SG1 several times, each time grating a little more on the nerves of the human members of the team. Teal'c seemed not to be affected by her presence at all and even shared many conversations with the woman. Slowly Jack, Sam, and Daniel began to realize that Nicole's obsession with them was not going to go away anytime soon, so they too became amicable whenever she decided to observe on their missions – and observe was all she ever did. They knew she wouldn't interfere, and they didn't ask her to.

It was a gorgeous fall day in Chicago. The sunlight streaming happily through the trees into the graveyard, blissfully unaware of the grief in the group of mourners who stood crestfallen at the memorial service for a man who was once very close to Daniel. Daniel himself waited until the last of the mourners withdrew from the casket and said his final good-byes to his former mentor.

The fountain sprayed high into the air behind them as Daniel and a woman with blonde curly hair walked along the grass, discussing the great man who had just died. They also mentioned a man's name that to Nicole was unrecognizable, but she knew he was the one who had left angrily not long before. They also mentioned the end of a relationship – one the Q could only assume was their own. She kept herself invisible and listened as Daniel tried to say as little as possible about the Stargate program. She couldn't help but feel a strange twinge of jealousy as she witnessed how the pair before her interacted.

She waited until the archeologist employed by the SGC was alone, standing amidst rows of ancient artifacts lining shelf upon shelf in the basement of a museum. He was holding a jar, one that had a human head and ancient symbols engraved upon it. It was just as Daniel was reaching for his cell phone that she decided to appear right behind him.

"Hello, Nicole." The noise generated by the flash was apparently quite familiar to him by now.

"You must feel quite at home in this place," she commented, her eyes traveling to the ancient artifacts surrounding them. When he merely grunted in response and didn't even turn around, she folded her arms over her chest and watched as he began to dial his phone. "Who's the girl?" she asked.

He finally turned, cell phone placed by his ear. "Sarah? She's a friend," he told Nicole as he listened to the ringing on the other end of his phone.

"So I could see."

He shook his head. "Then why'd you ask?" he muttered, an held up his index finger, signaling Nicole to wait. "Hi, Sam, it's me," he said into the phone.

"Tell her I say hi," Nicole muttered before she disappeared.

Several hours later, the archeologist was once again alone, pondering the mystery that had been placed before him. He held up a paper, one that held the translation of the Gou'ld symbols he had found on the jar he had been studying. Calling Teal'c had apparently been a bad idea since it stirred anger in Jack, but at least he had gotten the final translation that he needed. Now if he could only figure out what it meant.

"So who died?" a voice from behind him asked, causing him to jump a little. He must have been so absorbed in what he was doing that he hadn't heard anyone else enter the room.

Turning in his chair, he realized how unobservant he must have been – it was the Q who had left him alone in the basement earlier. Shaking his head, he turned back to the translation and sighed loudly. "Dr. David Jordan, my former professor and friend."

"I'm sorry," she replied, moving to sit beside him in an empty chair. "Was he like a father to you?"

Daniel shot her a sideways glance, trying to figure out why she had asked the question, his expression one of confusion. Raking a hand over his hair, he nodded and answered quietly, "Yeah, he was."

She nodded and leaned onto the table before them, not noticing the papers she pushed out of her way with her clasped hands. "I lost my parents."

His eyebrows shot up before his gaze returned to the paper before him. "Me, too," he responded, "when I was very young."

"I didn't know. . ."

"Of course you didn't. Now if you don't mind, I have work to do."

Sighing, she stood up, but froze for a moment, staring down at him silently, as if memorizing his features. Just when he was about to comment, two new arrivals entered the room. The balding older man dressed in his Air Force uniform and the Air Force major in BDUs beside him stopped short when they spotted the red haired woman standing next to Daniel. Nicole's gaze drifted to Sam and General Hammond, and she sighed deeply. "Don't worry, I was just leaving. I didn't realize how much you all abhor my presence. I won't come around uninvited anymore."

"Nicole –" Daniel began, instantly regretting how he had brushed her off earlier, but she was gone before he could finish the thought. He glanced over at Sam and General Hammond, motioning them to come over and check out his research.

Sam laid a comforting hand on Daniel's shoulder and commented lightly, "You can't make everyone happy."

He shook his head. "No, but we could have been a little nicer to her."

The next day, after the surprising discovery of a dead Gou'ld symbiote in the jar Daniel had been researching, General Hammond ordered Daniel, Sam, and Janet Frazier to Egypt in search of the person they assumed had been taken as host to the Gou'ld Osiris. Just as the small doctor placed her over night bag in the car that would take the three of them to Peterson Air Force Base, Daniel pulled Sam aside.

"I have this nagging feeling that we should do something drastic here," he told her seriously.

"We're going to Egypt. How much more drastic can we get?" The blonde stole a look at Janet, who was gesturing for them to hurry up.

Daniel sucked in a deep breath and replied slowly, "I think we should call Nicole and ask her to come with us."

Surprise flashed through Sam's blue eyes, and she backed up a step. "Are you insane? Twenty hours in a plane with _her_? I know you feel badly about how she left, but come on, Daniel, you can't be serious."

"I'm not insane, Sam, think about it. She cares about us far more than those stupid guidelines those elders set out for her to follow. I hate to admit it, but I've felt a lot safer every time she's come along with us on a mission. She won't let any of us die, I just know it."

"So your suggestion is we use her?"

He shook his head. "It's a win-win situation, Sam. We complete our mission and she gets to hang out with us, which she obviously loves to do. Come on, humor me this once."

"This once?" Sam replied, a smile touching her face as she shook her head slowly. "I can't believe I'm actually going to agree to this. You are insane, though, you have to know that."

So Nicole spent the next twenty hours cooped up with Sam, Daniel, and Janet in an Air Force special issue aircraft. The seats were comfortable and couch-like and even the Q didn't flash out at any time due to boredom. Surprisingly, she and Janet hit it off rather well, Nicole asking a lot of questions about Cassie, drawing the usually reserved doctor out of her shell quite effectively. By the time they reached Cairo, Sam and Daniel were wondering what had happened to the woman they had gotten to know over the past several weeks.

But their journey was far from over. The four of them climbed into an open jeep, the same color as the rusty sand beneath it and set out for the pyramid where the ancient artifacts had originally been discovered. Daniel drove, unsurprisingly knowing his way over the tough terrain, for he had worked in Egypt for many years before joining the Stargate program. Janet rode shotgun, her own red hair shining in the sunlight from underneath her sand colored hat. Sam and Nicole rode in the back with no seatbelts, Sam's head also covered with a hat for her fair hair would have invited the sun to burn her scalp most effectively. But whereas the others wore hats and light colored clothing to ward off the sun, Nicole sat unaffected by the light and heat, not bothering with any of those precautions.

About an hour into their journey, Sam offered her canteen to the quiet woman across from her. Nicole smiled but shook her head no, waving away the nourishment. "I don't need it, so save it for those of you who do," she answered. "But thanks for the thought."

Sam nodded and proceeded to take a few sips from the bottle before she stowed it carefully in her pack as the vehicle bumped along the uneven terrain. Glancing up once again, she shouted over the noise of the truck to the Q seated across from her, "We don't hate you!"

"There's no need to yell, Major. I can hear you quite well," Nicole replied in a normal tone and to her surprise, Sam heard it perfectly.

She nodded, realizing the Q was using her ability to shut out the noise of the truck. Then it struck her how strange it was to hear Nicole call her "Major." Shaking her head, she remarked, "You've never called me that before."

"I thought you might appreciate it, since we're not exactly friends," Nicole replied, her gaze fixed on the approaching horizon.

Not exactly sure how to respond to this, Sam was quiet for a moment, knowing they still had a bit of a journey ahead of them. The Air Force major knew she should probably make a decision about how she felt about the Q before their trip ended or it could be a rather uncomfortable one for the both of them. Finally making up her mind, Sam replied carefully, "We could be friends."

Nicole laughed a little, finally turning to look at the woman across the truck from her and folding her arms over her chest in a defensive stance. "Really?" she asked, sounding rather doubtful.

Sam shrugged. "Maybe if you didn't try so hard."

"Try so hard do to what exactly?"

"Impress us."

At that remark, Nicole's gaze turned and fixed on Daniel, who was completely oblivious to the conversation going on behind him and the stare of a certain red haired woman. "You really are smart," the Q whispered gently, her eyes studying the face of the driver. "Not smarter than me, I'd guess, but then again, you don't have the advantages I have, either." Sam smiled at this, but didn't respond. "I was trying to deny it, but spending time with you and the rest of SG1 has made me long for a normal life again. It never occurred to me that my freedom as Q comes at a huge cost – the fact that I'll never be close to anyone again."

"You're not close with anyone?"

"My sister, but she's gone just as crazy as the rest of the Qs, thinking that we're better than any other species. She can't understand why I prefer to spend time with humans."

"If you spend so much time with humans, there must be someone you've become close to."

Nicole shook her head sadly and moved her gaze regrettably from the driver to Sam, the Q leaning against the poles that separated her from Janet in the front seat. "Nope, can't ever stick around long enough to form any kind of attachment. I guess that's why I try so hard."

Sam nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. But Nicole, what would happen if the elders found out you were spending time with us? Would it really be that bad?"

The red haired woman's eyes grew wide as she nodded vigorously. "My stepfather spent too much time with humans, even changed the course of human history once. His punishment was to live among them for an indefinite period of time as one of them. They tortured him. . ." she shuddered. "He's always warned us to stay away from your species, but I can't help it. I'm more like you than I am any Q I've ever met."

"Have you ever considered that maybe you should be human? Weren't you born that way?"

Nicole shook her head. "We would have died if we remained human. My stepfather did us an enormous favor by changing us into Qs."

They didn't have time to finish the conversation for at that moment they arrived at their destination. Daniel pulled the truck into the tire tracks left by the blue truck already outside the pyramid, but after a few seconds left them and parked above the blue on a sand dune. Sam reached for some weapons, dispersing them among the rest of her team, but Nicole merely waved her off when the blonde woman attempted to hand her one. The Air Force major nodded silently and jumped off the vehicle, quickly making her way to one side of the entrance where she wouldn't be seen, gun drawn. She glanced back at Daniel who had followed at a distance, nodded at the tranquilizer gun in his hand and moved to the other side of the door, gun pointed inside, ready for anything. Daniel took Sam's previous spot and set to work loading a dart into his gun. Sam motioned to Janet, who joined her coworkers swiftly. Nicole watched all of this and followed once the three of them were inside, her green eyes only losing sight of Daniel's white shirt for a moment.

Daniel and Sam's large flashlights bounced off the walls as the four of them traveled down a flight of stairs. Once at the bottom, they recognized the sight of a man lying motionless on the floor. Nicole situated herself against a wall, watching as the situation before her unfolded.

The archeologist of SG1 lay down his gun next to the motionless man on the floor and informed the women, "It's Steven."

Sam ran to him, placing a gentle hand on his neck and noticing the dried blood on his face. "I'm not sensing anything," she told the others. "He's not Goa'uld."

She stood up, giving Janet room to look over the injured man. When her fingers touched his neck in an effort to find a pulse, the man's eyes snapped open, and he took a deep painful breath.

"Steven," Daniel said to the man.

"He's bleeding internally," Janet told him.

"Steven, it's me," the archeologist member of SG1 stated.

"Daniel," Steven replied with difficulty.

Nicole watched from a short distance, her usual position as observer not wavering as her vision took in the pacing astrophysicist, the worried doctor, her patient, and Daniel. "What happened?" Daniel asked his former colleague.

"I took the amulet," Steven explained. "It's over ten thousand years old. Your theory was right all along. I'm sorry." Nicole's nose crinkled at this. She didn't know what theory the injured man was referring to. She made a mental note to ask Daniel later.

Steven grimaced in pain and Janet's hands expertly moved over his back and side within mere moments as she instructed him, "Just take it easy, okay? I need you to hold still."

"It's okay, she's a friend," Daniel told Steven. "What about the jar?"

"Huh?" was the only response.

"The Osiris jar. Did you open it?"

"No."

Confusion flickered across Daniel's face, and he glanced momentarily at Janet before returning his eyes to the man lying prone on the floor. "Why did you come here?"

"I figured out the amulet was a key. There's a hidden chamber. I wanted to make the discovery."

"Daniel, we have to get him out of here," Janet interrupted.

There was one last question Daniel wanted to ask. "Steven, who did this to you?" The man on the floor closed his eyes and didn't reply. Daniel looked up at Janet and Sam, who were both in the process of preparing to move the injured man.

The Q standing near the stairs heard the footsteps first and quickly moved a few inches to be as out of the way as possible. Soon, while the three SGC personnel's attention was still on the wounded man, a familiar face came into view, rays from the sun behind her accentuating her curly blonde hair and pristinely white outfit. Her eyes glowed an orange-bronze color as she answered Daniel's question, "I did."

Sam was up in an instant, her gun trained at the Goa'uld within seconds. Janet and Daniel weren't too far behind her, Daniel lifting his eyes to see his ex-girlfriend. "Sarah?" he asked, most likely hoping he was wrong.

The Goa'uld's attention, however, switched to the two women she could see – Nicole had long since made herself invisible to everyone except Daniel, Sam, and Janet. The Goa'uld raised her hand to which she had attached the ribbon device, and activated the object with her mind, throwing Sam and Janet against the back wall, effectively incapacitating them.

Seeing this, Daniel shot a tranquilizer dart at the woman, but it was easily deflated by the device strapped to Sarah's hand. The archeologist quickly dropped the gun and tried to unlatch the firearm attached to his belt. He wasn't fast enough. Osiris whipped off her hood and closed the distance between them, swatting the gun aside just as he had managed to retrieve it. In one swift motion, she disarmed him with her left hand and with her right wrapped her fingers around his neck securely.

"Daniel!" Nicole screamed and rushed to his side, although she knew there was nothing she could do to help.

"Daniel Jackson. You seem to know much of the Goa'uld, much more than any other human I have encountered since my awakening. Now, tell me, where is the Stargate?" The Goa'uld glared down at the archeologist whose air supply was getting rather low.

She loosened her grip a little so he could answer. "I don't know what you're talking about," Daniel replied. His eyes flickered to Nicole, silently begging her to do something. He was only answered by a pained expression covering her face.

The answer he gave was obviously not the one the Goa'uld had wanted or expected. Her face contorted with rage, and she threw him to the floor forcefully. "Insolence," she whispered angrily, turning and walking a few steps away as Daniel grabbed at his throat and took a few deep gasping breaths. The Q beside him laid a hand on his back but otherwise felt completely helpless.

"This temple was once filled with worshipers," Osiris lamented aloud.

"Yeah, well, times change," Daniel retorted. "We don't worship false gods anymore."

"You have come far, it's true," the Goa'uld replied with her hands on her hips, "Bu you are still weak. Even now you are torn between your desire to kill me and your concern for my host. She who freed me from my long sleep." She walked closer and asked quietly, "Where is my queen?"

"Um . . . she was trapped like you. We have the jar."

"Where is it?"

"I'm not going to tell you."

"You are mistaken," Osiris muttered in a cold voice before lifting her hand and focusing the ribbon device's energy squarely on Daniel's head.

The archeologist grimaced in pain, letting out a small whisper, barely audible over the whir of the ribbon device, "Nicole, help me."

The Q stepped back in alarm. "I . . . I . . . can't," she answered, her voice breaking on the last word. "I'm sorry."

Mustering all the strength he could, Daniel pulled out another tranquilizer dart and stabbed it into Osiris' side. She staggered back, the link broken. "What is this? What have you done?" She pulled out the dart and retorted angrily, "You will pay for this impudence." And using the ribbon device, she called a ship out of hiding and stepped into the ring transport area.

Daniel glanced up at Nicole. "Please, stop her. Don't let her leave."

"I can't interfere with the normal flow of time!" Nicole insisted.

"Consider it a favor to me," he implored.

She shook her head no. "Do you have any idea what the elders will do to me?"

"Make no mistake," Osiris told Daniel, interrupting whatever he may have said next, "Osiris will return and the rivers will run red with blood." At this, the ring transport activated.

It was at this point Sam woke up and grabbed her gun, aiming between the rings but her shots merely ricocheted off of them. Shaking her head, she made her way over to Daniel as Janet pulled herself off the floor. Sam placed a comforting hand on Daniel's back and asked, "Are you all right?"

He sat up and answered in the lightest tone he could rally, "Oh, yeah, I think I'm getting used to that thing."

"Where's Osiris," Janet asked as she staggered over to check on Steven.

"Gone," Sam replied, her gaze returning to the spot where the Goa'uld had disappeared.

"Steven?" Daniel asked, holding his head as if that would make the pain go away.

"I think if we get him out of here right now, he'll make it," Janet replied.

Sam stole a look sideways at Daniel, who seemed to be in a lot of pain and suddenly thought of something. "Where's Nicole?" she asked, glancing around the darkened room. "Did she help at all?"

"No," the archeologist of SG1 answered, bitterness creeping into his voice. "No, apparently she was more concerned with what the elders would do to her than even the prospect of me dying. It was a bad idea to bring her."

"Well, bad idea or not," the doctor said in a commanding tone, "We need to get out of here now. Help me with him." She motioned to Steven and both of her colleagues moved to help.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

She pushed her curls almost inaudibly over her left shoulder and her eyes filled with remorse and sorrow as she watched the man a few feet from her. She was standing in the doorway to his office, which he had torn apart moments before in his grief, anger, and most likely guilt for the part he had played in the most recent tragedy: the hijacking of his ex-girlfriend's body by a Goa'uld.

The Q stepped cautiously into the room and slid carefully onto the now bare table, stopping just short of the man's glasses, which lay precariously on the edge by his right arm. He sat in the only remaining upright stool in the room, his face buried in his arms that were resting on the cold tabletop upon which was now seated someone who was unaffected by its temperature. Gently she placed a comforting hand on his arm, causing him to jump slightly.

Raising his head, his blue eyes narrowed on her face, squinting to see without his glasses. When it finally registered who was seated next to him, he lowered his head back onto his arms and asked sourly, "What do you want?"

"I know I'm probably the last person you want to see right now, but I wanted to talk with you."

"About what?"

"I wanted to apologize."

Surprise flitted across his face as he jerked his head up to give her a look of disbelief, "_You're_ admitting to doing something wrong?"

She nodded sadly, her eyes darting from his face to the objects that lined the shelves nervously as she answered softly, "I'm not a hero, Daniel. I don't have the courage to do what it takes. Even though it kills me to admit it, I'm too afraid of what the Continuum will do to me to do what's right."

Daniel shook his head and sat up straight, giving Nicole his full attention. "I think you're wrong. I think you can be a hero if you really want to be." He shrugged. "Five years ago I would never have dreamed I would be doing half the things I do now."

"So it takes time?"

He nodded and patted her leg comfortingly. "Time and effort. Maybe you should spend more time with us," he joked, finally smiling at his visitor.

Immediately distracted, Nicole's vision locked on the place where he had touched her leg, her cheeks flushing slightly. Her reaction went completely unnoticed by the man who was currently slipping his glasses into place on his face. Clearing her throat and finally tearing her eyes away from her leg, Nicole whispered, "Can I ask you something?"

Daniel nodded as his eyes began surveying the damage he had done to his office. "Sure," he answered, but she could tell his attention was divided.

"That woman – Sarah – you used to date her?"

Apparently this was not a question he had been expecting, for he swiveled around on his stool and nearly toppled sideways. After steadying himself, he answered the now grinning woman, "Yeah, years and years ago. Why do you ask?"

She shrugged and hopped off the table, leaning over to pick up a file and its contents of pictures that had been strewn all over the floor in the earlier commotion. "Just curious. I've never done that."

"What, dated a woman?" the archeologist asked in a teasing tone as he joined her in picking up the disorganized pictures that were now all over the floor. "And you don't have to do this."

She smiled and replied softly, "I don't mind," before placing the pictures in her hand on the table. Leaning against it, she continued in the same hushed tone, her smile having disappeared, "I meant I've never dated before – man or woman. But I'm not attracted to women, so it's not surprising I've never dated one."

The man picking up the pictures on the floor stopped in the middle of reaching for the last photograph and turned to give Nicole a surprised look before sitting onto the floor and looking up at her. "You mean to tell me you've never dated before?"

"Yes," she said, wrapping her arms around her body self-consciously and not making eye contact. She shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other before continuing, "I have never stayed in one place long enough to get to know anyone well enough to date them – and Q men are not ones I would even slightly consider for any kind of long term relationship."

"So you've never even been on a casual date? I mean, you're very attractive, I assume men would jump at the chance to take you out."

She shrugged. "Yeah, I've gone out once or twice with nice men, but it never went anywhere. I guess I've just never found one I felt that deeply for – and considering I'm turning one hundred and eighteen next week, I'd say I've done my share of looking."

Daniel blinked as his brain picked up the last piece of information she had thrown his way. When it finally registered, he asked, dumb-founded, "A hundred and eighteen _years_?"

Giggling, Nicole nodded and let herself slid onto the floor, her back supported by the table, across from the man who looked as if he had just received the shock of his life. "We can choose how old we look physically. I haven't changed my appearance since I turned twenty-five."

"I was just going to say you don't look a day over twenty-five," Daniel commented, flashing her a grin.

"It doesn't matter how old I look," the woman answered with a shake of her head. "It isn't easy being the sibling who's never been kissed when your sister is sleeping with a different guy each week and your brother has been married for over a century."

"A century, huh? I wonder what anniversary that would be. . ."

This comment was rewarded with a soft kick in the calf, the only part of him she could reach with her short leg. "Hardly the point," she replied with a small smile, "But if you must know, I haven't seen them since they told me they were getting married. They eloped."

"Qs can elope?" the archeologist asked, intrigued by this new insight into another culture. "How? Don't the elders know where they are?"

Nicole shook her head. "They don't use their abilities enough to be noticed. Don't ask me how they do it."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Daniel studying the woman across from him while she pretended not to notice by keeping her eyes fixed on an artifact that lay in pieces on the floor not to far from them. Finally the man broke the silence with a simple question, "You're really never been kissed before?"

She blushed again, her face beginning to match the color of her hair. She picked at her jeans and nodded. "Yeah. Do you think that's pathetic?"

He shook his head and responded softly, "No," as he moved slightly so that he was resting evenly on his knees. She thought he was preparing to stand up until he moved closer to her and reached out a hand to cup her face tenderly.

"What are you doing?" she asked hoarsely, her eyes wide and her breath catching in her throat.

"Giving you an early birthday present," Daniel whispered in a low voice before he covered the distance between them and pressed his lips tenderly onto hers. She closed her eyes, relishing the experience, her hands finding the man's shoulders and resting there lightly, afraid that if she held too tightly he would realize what he was doing and pull away. His hands tangled in her hair, remaining there even after he broke the short, sweet kiss. Their eyes fluttered open, their faces mere inches apart. He whispered, his breath hot against her mouth, "Happy birthday."

She responded with a smile and didn't waste any time before once again closing the distance between them by snaking her hands behind his neck and pulling him to her. This resulted in a much more passionate kiss, which only ended when Daniel pulled away forcefully, catching his breath and putting some distance between them.

"Wait," he breathed heavily, holding up a hand to her. "You've waited a long time to have a relationship. I don't want to go rushing into anything too fast and ruin whatever we could have had." She nodded, unable to respond, still reeling from the effect of their last kiss. Shaking his head, he continued, "Are you sure you want to get involved with me? I mean, we haven't known each other that long."

"I know you," she replied hoarsely, her eyes watering just a little. "I don't know why, but I know I can trust you. You're a good man. And you're showing that right now."

He smiled at her and reached over, his fingers sliding between hers. "I want to do right by you. It's hard to be the first boyfriend."

"Is that what you are? My boyfriend?"

He avoided the question. "How about I take you out to dinner on your birthday?"

"Like a date?"

He laughed and nodded. "Yeah, we'll even call it a date."

"Okay."

"Going somewhere?" Jack asked as he found his way through the open door of Daniel's office. Both men were clad in normal civilian clothes, signifying the end of the work day and time to go home.

Smiling, the archeologist shoved a few more things into his duffel bag and zippered it shut enthusiastically. "Yup," he answered before moving past his friend, deliberately not giving away any details.

"Anywhere important?" The Air Force Colonel asked, following Daniel from the room, obviously not willing to let the subject die that quickly.

"Yup," Daniel answered, pressing the button to the elevator and waiting patiently for it to arrive, all the while grinning like the Cheshire cat.

Jack's eyebrows shot up as he moved to stand next to his friend and stare at him incredulously. "And you don't feel like sharing?"

Daniel considered this for a moment, his eyes darting back and forth in mock concentration. Just as his gaze returned to rest on the man standing beside him, the elevator doors opened and the two of them stepped inside. The doors slid quietly shut behind them and the younger man turned slightly to the older one and answered with a smile, "No, I don't really feel like sharing."

SG1's leader opened his mouth to reply, but before he could, the doors slid open again, revealing Major Samantha Carter on the other side. She smiled at her friends and stepped into the elevator, her presence causing the distraction Daniel had hoped for. Jack hadn't taken his eyes off his second in command since the doors had opened, her civilian clothes consisting of a usual leather jacket and tight jeans, which hugged her in all the right places. It was just the perfect thing to cause Jack to forget everything else on his mind.

When the elevator finally stopped, Daniel stepped out and said a hurried good-bye to his friends, rushing to his car. "Well, that was odd," Jack commented as he fell into step beside Sam, as always fighting the urge to walk closer than was really necessary.

"What was?" Sam asked as she pulled out her keys, the fact that they had passed his truck not escaping her notice.

"Daniel's being awfully secretive about what he's in such a hurry to get to."

The blonde smiled and shook her head, reaching down to unlock her car, keeping her mind focused on the conversation and getting into her car and not dwelling on how close to her he was standing. "He has a date," she informed her CO as if it was common knowledge.

"With who?" Jack asked, his eyes following the SUV leaving the base parking lot rather than the woman who was at the moment pulling open her car door and sitting down into the driver's seat.

"Don't know. He wouldn't tell me," Sam replied before shutting the car door. When he didn't move, she lowered her window and asked in a concerned tone, "Are you okay?"

His gaze finally shifted to her face, the pain clearly evident in his dark eyes. She swallowed hard and looked away, trying to pretend as they always did that there was nothing wrong. When she turned her head back, he was gone, headed for his truck and once again they avoided the impending conversation. But as she rolled her window back up and pulled out of the parking space, she knew they would have to tackle the issue eventually.

Sam stepped into her house and shed her coat, placing it on one of the hooks near the door. Leafing through the mail, she made her way into the kitchen, threading one of her hands through her hair absentmindedly. Once arriving in the kitchen, she tossed the unopened mail onto the counter and pulled open the refrigerator door. As she decided what she wanted to eat, her thoughts wandered as she considered for a moment just how little of a social life she actually had. Sighing, she shut the refrigerator and pulled a cup out of a cupboard and filled it with tap water.

Turning around, she was a little startled at the bright light that appeared on the other side of the island table but not at all surprised when it left a red haired woman in its wake. "Hello, Nicole," she greeted the woman nonchalantly before taking a sip of the lukewarm water.

"I need your help," the younger woman quipped in a fairly agitated tone, her eyes shifting back and forth nervously.

Sam's eyebrows furrowed as she regarded the woman carefully, noticing the slightly anxious air about the redhead. It was this observation that kept Sam's usual irritated response at Nicole's demands at bay. Instead she answered in a slightly teasing tone, "Let me get this straight. _You_ need _my _help?"

Rolling her eyes and leaning forward on the back of a chair, Nicole responded in an exasperated tone, "Seriously, Sam, I don't think I've ever been this nervous in my whole life – and that's a long time."

"What's there to be nervous about?" Sam asked with a slight tilt of her head.

Glancing down, the redhead moved a little and sat down on the chair she had been leaning on. Not making eye contact, she answered slowly, "I have a date tonight, which I know probably isn't a big deal to someone like you, but I don't date a lot . . . and I really like him."

The blonde took a sip of water and sat down herself. "I don't date a lot, either. Don't know how much help I can be."

"But you would know what to wear better than me. He said to wear something nice, like a dress."

Sam's eyebrows rose suspiciously. "Are you saying your date is happening in this century?"

The redhead shot her friend a strange look. "Yes. Tonight. Here in Colorado Springs. Wouldn't have come to you for help with twenty-fourth century space fashion. I'm a little smarter than that, Sam."

"Is this date with anyone I know?"

The corners of Nicole's lips tugged upward uncontrollably, the only answer Sam really needed, but the Q answered slyly, "Maybe," and left it at that.

Shaking her head, the astrophysicist checked her watch and told the redhead informatively, "I don't think there's enough time to go shopping for a dress – and, sorry to say, I don't think you'll fit into one of mine."

Nicole nodded. "Well, there's always the internet," she commented and was rewarded with a strange look from Sam. Smiling, the Q flashed a full smile and explained, "If I want to try a dress on, I could just snap it on." To demonstrate, the woman snapped her fingers and a bright light surrounding her, replacing her jeans and t-shirt with a long, white Greek robe, probably the same one she had worn before. "Not that this is appropriate in this century unless we're going to a toga party."

The blonde nodded. "Well, then, let's go see what there is to find on the internet."

Later that night, a certain brown haired man with glasses was tightening his blue silk tie and he heard the familiar sound of a Q flash behind him. Smiling to himself, he turned and picked up the single red rose lying on the bed. When his eyes, the same color as his tie, lifted and he took in the sight of the red haired woman a few feet from him, his body froze as he stared transfixed at his girlfriend.

She smiled self-consciously and blushed, her cheeks turning almost the same color as her hair. Smoothing the dark green material of her dress, which was strapless and stopped just short of her knees, she shuffled nervously from one foot to the other. "Do you not like the dress? Sam helped me pick it out."

Shaking his head and stuttering a little, Daniel backed up and replied with a grin, "No, no, I love the dress. You look beautiful."

Her emerald eyes darted to the floor shyly. "Thanks," she whispered without meeting his blue eyes.

He stepped closer and held out the flower to her. "Shall we go?"

After drinks, dinner, and a shared dessert, Daniel and Nicole were in his car, neither one aware of what time it was or anything else but the other person. All she knew was that his lips were on hers, and his arms were wrapped tightly around her smaller form, causing a feeling of elation she had never known before. In the commotion of heated breathing, lips on lips and hands tangled in hair, it was hard for the Q to know which way was up.

In the midst of the fogginess, a familiar female voice called to her rather harshly, "So this is how I have to find out about your love life now? You couldn't even give me a simple heads-up?"

Green eyes snapped open as Nicole pushed away from Daniel in shock, her head turning to the back seat, where a woman with long blonde hair, blue eyes, a strapless top and tight mini-skirt sat with a huge grin on her lips. Smacking her gum rudely, her eyes raked up and down Daniel's body with interest. Nicole's eyes narrowed on her sister's face as she spat angrily, "Was there something you wanted, Teeny?"

Teeny's eyebrows shot up in surprise as her gaze switched from the man in the driver's seat to her older sister. "What? I can't come visit my big sister if I want to?"

"Sister?" Daniel asked, his eyes darting from one woman to the other. "The one you've told me about?"

"It's nice to be mentioned," the younger sister replied with a smile.

Daniel and Nicole exchanged a look and smiles, remembering the redhead's statement about her sister the previous week just before their first kiss. Teeny failed to notice this glance for she was too busy checking out her nails. Nicole rolled her eyes and addressed her sister once again, "Was there a reason you had to interrupt what was a perfectly wonderful evening for me?"

The blonde faked a hurt expression. "Are you saying you don't like seeing me?"

"Well, I think I'd be pretty much pissed at anyone who would put a stop to me kissing my boyfriend."

Teeny's eyebrows shot up dramatically as she leaned forward. "He's your boyfriend? Now I really am hurt that you didn't tell me about him sooner. Is this how you treat your best friend?"

Nicole sighed and ran her hand over her boyfriend's cheek, remorse running over her features. "I'm sorry, Daniel, but I think this is going to take a while." Turning to her sister, she barked harshly, "You, out of the car. Now."

Blue eyes rolled in annoyance, but the younger sister regrettably followed her older one out of the car. The red head slammed her door shut behind her and crossed her arms over her chest defiantly. "Okay, if I'm going to have a boyfriend, there's got to be some rules between you and me."

"Oh, so there are rules now? I don't know if I like this too much."

Nicole sighed. "Teeny, you are still my best friend, and I will gladly talk to you about my love life. But this was just so new, and I didn't know if we were talking about it yet. This is my first real relationship. I don't want to screw it up."

This seemed to soften Teeny a little bit. "Okay, sorry, I didn't mean to cause a freak-out."

"You didn't. Just do me a favor and _don't_ interrupt us from now on, please?"

The blonde held up her hands in the sign of surrender. "Don't particularly want to. Just thought I'd pop in this once to get your attention."

"Well, please don't do it again."

"Sure thing, Nic." Teeny glanced in the car at the man waiting patiently behind the steering wheel for his girlfriend to return. "He's kind of hot. Didn't know you had such good taste in men, sister of mine."

"You stay away from him," Nicole warned, her eyes once again narrowing on her sister's face. "This one is mine, and I will not give him up easily."

"I would _never_ do that to you."

"No, of course not," the red head retorted before yanking the car door open and stepping inside. Before closing the door, she looked up and smiled a little at her younger sister. "We'll talk later, okay?" Teeny nodded and snapped her fingers, vanishing in a flash of bright light.

Shaking her head, Nicole turned to her boyfriend, prepared to apologize for the intrusion. Instead, she found his lips on hers briefly before he pulled away and asked with a smile, "So that's your sister, huh?"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Jack strode into his friend's office one Monday morning and settled his elbows onto the large black tabletop. Daniel looked up from his laptop and greeted SG1's team leader, "Morning, Jack. What's on your mind?" He was bent over as he typed out a few words on the keypad before him, the stool where he had formerly sat forgotten in the background.

"Good morning, Daniel. How was your weekend?"

Rolling his eyes, the archeologist smiled and turned his gaze back to the laptop. "It was great, Jack. Thanks for asking. How was yours?"

Shaking his head and clapping a hand on his friend's shoulder, Jack responded with a question of his own, "You're really not going to tell me who you're dating, are you?"

"Who I'm _dating_?" Daniel glanced over at his friend suspiciously before realization struck, covering his entire face. "Sam told you."

"Yeah, but she didn't seem to have a clue who it was. What's with keeping all of us in the dark, buddy?"

Daniel opened his mouth to respond, but he was interrupted by a flash of light behind the two men. They both turned to the curly haired woman they knew would be standing there and were greeted by a cheerful, exuberant grin. "Hey guys. What's going on?" Nicole asked with a perky tone lighting her features.

Jack frowned and turned toward his friend, his mouth open and his finger extended as if ready to ask a question of the man beside him. He must have reconsidered, though, because all he ended up doing was shutting his mouth and shaking his head as if he answered his own question mentally.

The archeologist smiled at the woman before them, apparently oblivious to his friend's actions next to him. "Hey Nicole. Jack was just grilling me for information."

The Q's eyebrows shot up as she stepped closer to her boyfriend and regarded SG1's team leader carefully. "Grilling him about what, Jack? His whereabouts Friday night? The woman he's currently seeing?" She glanced up at Daniel and asked slyly, "Are you being mysterious, Daniel?"

As if in response, the man with dark hair and glasses wrapped his arm around the shorter woman's shoulders and pulled her closer to him. He then leaned down kissed her briefly on the lips. "No, I think I'm done being mysterious for now," he answered her in a soft tone.

The man beside the couple seemed speechless for once. His eyes grew wide, his eyebrows rose, and again he opened his mouth as if he was going to say something but reconsidered. Instead, he shook his head back and forth one more time and turned around to leave. "You kids have fun," he called over his shoulder.

Daniel and Nicole watched him leave before she dissolved into giggles, laying her forehead on one of her boyfriend's shoulders. "That was fun," she told him, her voice a little muffled. "Can we do it again?"

A few minutes later, Jack O'Neill wandered into another office, causing the owner to glance up from her laptop and smile in greeting. "Morning, Carter," Jack said, glancing over her shoulder at the computer screen. "What'cha working on?"

"Do you really want to know?" she replied, hitting a few keys and studying the results.

Jack shook his head no and pulled up a stool, settling himself on it a few feet from his second in command. "So I just saw Daniel."

"Mm-hmm?" Sam replied, obviously not seeing where he was going with this, knowing that seeing Daniel was very much commonplace in their lives now. Her eyes remained glued to the glowing screen before her.

"And I found out who his mystery date was on Friday night."

"It was Nicole," she told him simply and clicked a few more keys on the keyboard. She was, however, aware of his surprised expression and couldn't help grinning to herself. "She asked me for help picking out a dress on Friday. I put two and two together."

"And you didn't think it was information worth sharing?" Jack asked, feigning a hurt tone and expression.

Sam shrugged. "I thought that if Daniel wanted to share, he would." She glanced over at her CO. "Apparently he did. Would a few days heads-up really have helped you?"

"Maybe!" He answered, folding his arms across his chest. "When did this happen?"

"Don't know. Sometime after Egypt, I'm assuming."

"That was only a few weeks ago," he mused aloud, a confused expression covering his face as he stroked his chin with his fingers slowly. She tried not to watch this, her mind already having memorized this expression, one he used whenever he was trying to concentrate on a problem. Drawing in a deep breath, she instead tried to focus on her work on the screen.

Finally, Jack threw up his hands in admitted defeat and asked his second in command in a frustrated tone, "_How_ did this happen?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, still not averting her eyes from her work.

"I didn't even know he was slightly interested in her. I really thought he couldn't stand her."

At last Sam's eyes darted to his face, her eyebrows furrowed and lips pushed downward in a frown. "He couldn't stand her, or you couldn't stand her? Because there is a difference."

He shrugged. "Okay, I know it's not a big secret that I'm not Nicole's biggest fan, but I'm not trying to split them up. Really. I'm just trying to figure out what's going on here."

Shaking her head, she returned her attention to her laptop. "This is Daniel's relationship. If he feels like sharing, he will. Don't worry, I have a feeling you'll be the first person he shares with."

"I'm not worried," Jack retorted softly. She regarded him with raised eyebrows, her lips curled upward slightly, and an expression that told him she didn't quite believe his last statement.

"What's this party we're going to tonight?" Nicole asked as she stood in front of Daniel's full length mirror and snapped her fingers, changing discreetly into another dress. Shaking her head, she continued to snap her fingers and try on different outfits.

Daniel shook his head and looked up from the TV, answering his girlfriend from the other room, "It's a Valentine's Day party. Wear something red." He was already dressed in a nice suit, a red tie hanging from his neck and a small wrapped present lying on the table before him.

The red haired woman sighed and snapped her fingers once more, this time pleased with the dress she had discovered. The straps tied behind her neck and the flowing material stopped just short of her knees. She twirled once and nodded, finally making her decision. Snapping on a pair of simple red pumps and pinning her curls up with a few framing her pale face, she stepped out into the living room. "Ready," she announced to her boyfriend, who turned in the couch and stared at the woman behind him. "You like?"

Nodding, he stood up and adjusted his jacket. "Very much. You look wonderful." Reaching down, he picked up the present and moved around the couch to meet her as she came toward him. "This is for you," he whispered, handing her the small box wrapped in red paper.

"There are presents involved in this holiday?" Nicole asked as she took the box slowly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Daniel shrugged. "Usually it's just the guy who gets the girl a present . . . and it's good that it's a surprise."

She smiled and began to unwrap the present, finding a small white box underneath. Opening it, she discovered a silver heart necklace. Daniel reached over, took it out of the box and unfastened the clasp. He moved to put it around her neck and told her quietly, "It's a locket. You can put a picture in it if you want and carry it with you wherever you go."

After he was finished, she laid a hand on it softly and whispered, "Thank you" so quietly he had to strain to hear it.

When her green eyes rose again, meeting his blue ones, they shimmered with tears that threatened to spill over. "Are you okay?" her boyfriend asked quietly. She shook her head back and forth slowly and stepped away from him. "What's wrong?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but reconsidered, snapping her fingers and watched as the man before her froze instantly. Stopping time wasn't something she did very often, even though it was a power she possessed without question, but she simply didn't like taking advantage of it if it wasn't needed.

Sighing, she closed the distance between them and ran her hand along his cheek tenderly before turning away and walking out to the balcony. She was met there by her sister, who didn't say a word, but stood quietly until the older woman was ready to talk.

"I can't do this," Nicole whispered quietly.

"Do what?" Teeny asked, laying a soft hand on her sister's shoulder.

"Date a human," she answered in a low voice. "It's only been a few months, but I feel like I'm falling really hard for him."

Teeny's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Well, I'm no expert with human relationships – hell, relationships in general confuse me – but isn't falling in love generally considered a good thing?"

Nicole shrugged and sighed deeply. "Maybe, but not for me. I can't spend the rest of my life with someone, Teens. He'll grow old, and I'll stay the same as I am today. Maybe Qs just aren't meant to be in long term relationships, not with mortals, at least."

"Yeah, I can see that," her blonde sister answered slowly. "But there may be a way around that."

"What are you talking about?"

"You can suppress your emotions. Take them way, Nicci. Snap them away."

"What? Why?"

Teeny smiled, leaning over the balcony and watching the now quiet and still city below them. "Because then you can have fun for as long as you like and never get hurt."

"What about Daniel. Wouldn't that hurt him?"

She shook her head back and forth, blonde hair flying. "Nope. Guys are mostly in it for the sex anyway."

Nicole's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "We haven't had sex, Teens."

"Not yet," the younger sister pointed out.

Green eyes rolled before Nicole leaned on the railing next to Teeny. "Okay, I can't say that I don't see your point. But I don't think Daniel really feels that way. He's never tried to pressure me into having sex."

"Well, you can at least try shutting off your emotions. If you don't like it, we can always change time and pretend it never happened."

"I don't know . . ."

"Up to you, sis."

After a few minutes of considering, the older sister nodded and turned to face Teeny. "Fine. Let's do this."

Daniel was standing alone by the punch bowl when Sam walked up beside him and handed him a cup full of the pink liquid. "Hey," she greeted him, her eyes scanning the large apartment for familiar faces – or just one, but Daniel didn't want to assume that without knowing for sure. "Where's Nicole?"

He shrugged and sipped the drink a little. It was sickeningly sweet and tangy and he nearly gagged on the awful taste as it went down. "She went to the bathroom about twenty minutes ago, and I haven't seen her since." He placed the cup down on the table behind them and watched as Sam did the same thing, apparently not enjoying the drink anymore than he was. "Where's Jack?"

His friend looked as if she had just gagged on the drink herself. "Excuse me?"

"I just assumed you two rode over together. It saves on gas, and I know you don't mind each other's company. You know, coming to a party as friends isn't against regulations."

Sam nodded and studied the various foods behind them, but didn't make a move to take anything. "I know. But I came with someone tonight."

Daniel's eyebrows rose as he turned to look at his friend in the dimmed light. "_You_ came with someone?"

"Is it that hard to believe that I could have brought a date to a party? I'm not entirely without a social life, Daniel." Grinning at his disbelieving expression, she rolled her eyes and finally conceded. "Okay, yes, you're right. I'm a workaholic and my social life suffers because of it. But stop acting as if I can't get a date if I want to."

"So where is this date of yours?"

"He's over there, talking to that girl . . . with curly red hair." The realization hit both Daniel and Sam at the same time. In that instant, both of them left the table and headed into the fray of people, most of which weren't too concerned with the two members of SG1 cutting their way through.

Nicole's smile was wide and her eyes sparkling, and she definitely felt more free than she had in a long time. The man in front of her said nice things and made her laugh, and she could certainly tell he was flirting with her. Without a care in the world, she flirted right back, complete with batting her eyes and running her hand up and down his arm.

"So then I told Dr. Lee," he continued with his funny story, "'You have to be the worst scientist on this whole base!' and he turned beat red! It was great – until he actually succeeded, and he hasn't let me live it down ever since." He shrugged. "I suppose that's what I get." He raised a beer to his lips and drank greedily, as if all that talking made him thirsty.

It was at that moment that Daniel and Sam appeared beside Nicole and the man she was flirting with. The red head's smile disappeared almost instantly and the man nearly choked on the beer he had been drinking. Sam shook her head and told the guy in a sarcastic tone, "Oh that's okay, why don't you go flirt with those girls who just came in?"

He looked as if he was about to object, but finally shrugged and headed off in the direction Sam had indicated. Daniel shot his friend a sympathetic look, one she just brushed off and muttered something about the guy not being a great date anyway.

Nicole watched the scene unfold as if she had just been struck by lightening. When Daniel and Sam's eyes finally settled on her, she mouthed a quick "sorry" and headed for the nearest exit: the door to the balcony. Daniel moved to follow her, but his friend laid a hand on his shoulder and told him to stay. Sam headed out to the balcony alone.

The Q didn't turn when her friend stepped out into the cold night air, but she did recognize the new presence right away. She told Sam softly, "I would have never flirted with him if I had realized he was here with you. I'm sorry about that."

"Ah, forget about him. I should have known better than to bring a date anyway, much less him. But it was pretty much him or nothing." She leaned her back against the railing and looked over at her friend quietly, watching the Q closely. "But what happened to you and Daniel?"

"What do you mean what happened to me and Daniel?"

"Well, last I checked you were with him."

Nodding, she finally turned to Sam and replied quietly, "I am. Don't ask me what just got into me in there. I know I hurt him . . . this was a bad idea."

"What was a bad idea?"

Nicole shook her head back and forth and looked out once again over the balcony to the city lights. "You wouldn't understand."

"I don't like it when people tell me that," the astrophysicist informed the red head. "Why don't you tell me what's going on, and I'll see if I understand it or not?"

The Q let out a sigh and said softly, "I turned off my feelings for Daniel."

"You what?"

"See? I told you you wouldn't be able to understand."

Sam shook her head. "What happened? Why would you want to turn off your feelings for him?"

"It was Teeny's idea."

"Ah," the blonde replied with newfound understanding. "And why would you listen to her? It's not as if she's had any meaningful relationships with any man she's dated."

"Because that's the point. I can't really have a meaningful relationship with Daniel or with any guy. It hit me today that if Daniel and I continue on this path we're on, that one or both of us is going to get hurt."

"Why do you say that?"

"There's no future for a Q and a human, Sam. You've got to understand that. One grows old and eventually dies, while the other will never do either of those things."

Sam nodded, moving closer to her friend and asking carefully, "Then is it right for you to continue this relationship at all? Any way you look at it, it isn't fair to Daniel."

"I know. I was just hoping it didn't have to come to an end so soon."

"I think you need to talk about this with Daniel."

Nicole nodded and blinked away tears as she turned back toward the apartment door. The two women walked back into the party and almost immediately spotted Daniel, Jack, and Teal'c standing near the food table. Jack waved and they made their way over to the men as fast as they could in the crowded room. When they arrived, Sam's CO handed her a beer, which she gratefully accepted after tasting the punch.

"So were you really here with Sergeant Reynolds?" he asked with a grin.

Daniel's eyes were fixed on his girlfriend, but he didn't say anything as he watched her make her way over to him. She stopped right in front of him and nervously pulled on a loose curl while deciding what to say. Finally she pushed herself up on tiptoes and whispered in his ear over the music, "Can we go back to your place? We kind of need to talk."

He nodded and put down his beer on the table, waving to his friends. They waved back, Sam with an understanding look on her face, but Jack seemed bewildered by his friend's behavior. Glancing down at his second-in-command, the air force colonel made a mental note to ask her later about their friend's strange behavior.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Daniel asked softly, "So were you planning on telling me at some point that we suddenly have a very open relationship, one that includes flirting with other people?"

Nicole winced, but she knew she deserved that. With a snap of her fingers, she replaced her feelings, sensing that she would need them for this discussion. A wave of guilt much stronger than she had felt before swept over her, nearly crippling her. Her boyfriend's eyes narrowed on her fingers, instantly suspicious why she needed to snap at that moment.

"Okay, before we get into this, I really have to explain something to you. I want you to know that I have the ability to do a lot of things that would fix this right now in my favor. I could erase your memory or rewrite the last few hours so that party hasn't even happened yet. But I won't because I know that would only make things worse."

His blue eyes narrowed on her face and he took a deep breath before responding slowly, "That's a very . . . human way of looking at things."

"Well, I'm in this relationship with a human. I'm trying to look at things your way. Besides, Qs don't know what the hell they're talking about, as seen earlier with my sister's advice."

"What advice?"

Nicole sighed and sat on the sofa gingerly. "This might take a little bit of explaining."

He sat down on the sofa as well, but made sure there was space between them. "Then explain it to me."

"Earlier tonight when you asked me what was wrong, and I told you nothing, a lot more went on in that second than you think. I froze time and talked with my sister. I told her I couldn't be in a relationship with a human because it just won't work." She drew in a deep breath and looked away from him, a tear escaping and running down her cheek. "You're going to grow old and die someday, and I won't. And that's really hard for me. The way I feel about you makes me want to spend as much time with you as possible, but I know I can't. I finally realized why my stepfather discourages relationships with anyone mortal."

"Because in the end you're the one who's hurt," Daniel supplied for her.

She nodded. "Yeah, so I told her all of that, and she said she had a suggestion. She told me to hide my real feelings, just snap them away and pretend they didn't exist."

"What would that do?"

"It would allow me to have fun with you while I can but not get hurt when the relationship is over. I know, stupid idea, but I kind of fell for it. And that's why I was acting so strangely tonight. When we got back to the apartment, I snapped them back. I love you, Daniel, and I don't want to whisk that away, even though I can."

The man across from her on the sofa smiled a little and moved closer. "You love me?" Nicole smiled softly and nodded. "Then may I make a suggestion?"

"Sure, that'd be nice."

"Why don't you ask your stepfather if it would be possible for you to become human? I've heard it's been done before."

Losing her smile, Nicole's eyes grew large as she shook her head slowly. "No Q has ever requested to be made human before. It's only been used as a punishment!"

Cupping her face in his hands, he continued, "But you're no ordinary Q. You and your siblings were born human. I think you're more human than you know and that's a good thing. It's the human part of you that I'm falling in love with."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Taking a few deep breaths, Nicole wrapped her hands around his and pulled them away from her face. She stood up and began to walk around the room slowly. "But I love being a Q."

"I know, but Nicci, I don't think you realize what being a Q does to your personality."

Her eyes narrowed on his face. "What is that supposed to mean?"

He stood up and faced her. "For example, whenever you and Teeny go out in the universe and spend who knows how long 'playing' as you call it, you come back as a completely different person."

"What? How so?"

"You're selfish, treat people badly, and I don't recognize you at all. But when you've spent time here on Earth with me or Sam or even Jack and Teal'c, you're sweet and kind and sensitive, and I love that about you. I think that's the real you."

Nicole shook her head. "How do you know that? How do you know that being a Q isn't just who I am now?"

"Have you ever heard the saying 'Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely'?"

"Yes."

Daniel stared at her for a minute before continuing. Finally he shook his head and went on, "Well, I think that's why Qs are the way they are. Think about it. You really don't like spending time with other Qs except your sister. Haven't you ever considered this before?"

She shrugged. "I guess I just always liked being almost omnipotent."

He smiled. "See? You said almost. If you had just come back from spending time with your sister, there would have been no almost in that sentence."

She threw up her hands and backed away from him. "I can't believe you're asking me to give this up! I mean, if I'm not a Q, I don't know who I am. It's all I know."

"I'll help you find yourself again. I know I see you now." He stepped closer to her and drew her into his arms. "I'll understand if you don't want to do this. But I don't see any other way for us to be together . . . and I really want to be with you. At least promise me you'll think about it."

She nodded against his chest. "I'll think about it."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Nicole sat quietly, her green eyes focused on the face of her boyfriend seated across the mess hall table. Daniel was silent, his own eyes focused below him on the table and the food he was consuming at a slow rate. His girlfriend sighed and pushed her own food around on the plate before her. Even though she didn't require nutrition, she sometimes ate with Daniel just for the sake of the taste and sensation, not to mention there was no need for conversation when they were both chewing.

A familiar presence stopped beside the Q and pulled out the chair next to her. Nicole smiled at her tall friend with blonde hair who settled into the cold steel chair beside her. Daniel finally lifted his eyes to greet their friend with a small smile and a quick "Hi, Sam," before returning his attention to his plate.

Sighing, the red head leaned back against her chair and folded her arms over her chest, disgusted with the pretense of eating at the moment. She no longer wished for the silence, but longed for her boyfriend to acknowledge her presence in some way. Sam glanced from the archeologist to the Q seated beside her as her eyebrows dipped in confusion. "Did I miss something?" the brilliant woman asked in a low voice.

"No," Daniel answered shortly before he too abandoned his food, throwing his fork onto the tray angrily. "Actually, ask her," he retorted forcefully, his gaze narrowing on the red haired woman across the table from him. "I'm leaving," he muttered, gathering his tray in his arms and leaving the two women alone.

This time Sam's eyebrows shot toward her hairline, her gaze turning to the woman seated beside her who was currently staring after the man who had just left the table. "What was that about?"

Looking away, Nicole's eyes fixated on the floor while her fingers began twisting the fabric of her shirt's hem nervously. "Uh, well, we haven't exactly been on the best of terms lately."

"Are you two still arguing about the party? That was over a month ago, Nicole."

Shaking her head back and forth slowly, still not making eye contact, Nicole answered, "Not exactly."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam asked, her tone laced with confusion.

"It means what he's upset about has to do with the party but only because the party was the catalyst for it."

For a minute, Sam studied her friend's face and her brain raced to figure out to what the Q was referring. Finally, revelation dawned, lighting the astrophysicist's face with understanding. "It was that night Daniel asked you to consider becoming human."

Nicole nodded sadly, finally turning, her eyes connecting with Sam's clear blue ones, the fear shining apparently obvious in her shimmering green ones. "I don't think I can do it, Sam."

"Then you need to tell Daniel that. I'm assuming he's upset because it's been over a month, and you still need to make a decision."

"Yes, but I don't think that's exactly fair. This is a huge decision for me."

Smiling a little to herself, the tall blonde shook her head and pulled a spoon from her tray, anticipating the eating of her blue jell-o next, even though she had barely touched the food on her plate. She pointed the utensil at her red haired friend and remarked almost casually, "And yet if you wanted to, you know you do have the power to freeze time while you make this decision."

"You're thinking in such four-dimensional terms, Sam. But I suppose it's a step up from three."

Considering this for a moment, the brilliant woman ate a few spoonfuls of jell-o and watched the Q beside her with a distracted air about her. Finally, she set down her spoon and asked slowly, "So the fourth dimension is obviously time. Is the fifth different planes of existence?"

The Q laughed out loud, but nodded her head quickly. "You're learning, my friend, and much quicker than I had expected. Although, honestly, I'm really not sure I should be telling you any of this. In fact, I'm not sure I should be here at all."

"Here in this time?"

Nicole nodded. "Yeah, confusing, isn't it?"

"Sometimes." Sam took another bite of the gelatinous food and thought for a moment before she asked quietly, "Are you going to leave and wipe all of our memories or fix time so that you were never here? Is that what you're thinking of doing so that you don't affect the timeline?"

"I'd be lying if I said I hadn't considered it. But honestly, Sam, I feel more accepted here than anywhere else I've ever been. I don't know if I want to give that up."

"Then can I make a suggestion?"

"Of course, you know I value your opinion."

Sam smiled. "Even though I'm a limited human?"

Nicole giggled and shook her head. "Actually, I think your intelligence rivals many of my fellow Qs and that says a lot."

The member of SG1 seemed a little taken aback by this compliment, but smiled sweetly and continued with her advice. "I think you should seriously consider what Daniel has asked of you. Somehow I could see you being happy here with him, even if it is as a human."

Sighing, the Q ran a hand over her face and slowly nodded her head in agreement. "I see where you're coming from, Sam, but it's still not that easy for me. Making the decision to stay here means accepting the fact that someday I will die – and that's a reality I haven't had to face in over a century. Not to mention I would be giving up abilities that even someone as humble as you would have to admit are pretty tempting."

This comment elicited a smile from Sam as she shook her head in amusement. "All I'm saying is that you should at least consider it. I'm not trying to make the decision for you."

"I know," Nicole replied sadly, glancing sideways at her friend and smiling despite the turmoil of feelings inside her. "Sam?"

"Yes?" Sam replied, casting her gaze sideways as she placed her silverware on her empty plate, ready to leave as soon as the conversation was finished.

"If I do this, become human I mean, if I decide to become human, then I'm going to need some help – and as much as I love Daniel, I'm going to need a woman's help, too, and that's something he can't possibly give me."

Sam smiled broadly at her friend and nodded in response. "I'd be glad to help. Does this mean you're considering becoming human?"

"What do you think I've been doing for the past month?" Nicole asked, flashing the woman beside her a wide grin.

A woman with a very wise look to her soft, comforting features sat at a computer terminal and ran a hand over her face with a sigh before she replaced her glasses over her shining green eyes. Threading her fingers into her thick, wavy reddish brown hair, Kate Roslyn leaned back in her chair and stared at the computer interface before her.

It had been three months since she had discovered the malignant tumor in her breast that was at that very moment expanding at an alarming rate. Since that time, she had spent as much time as she could researching cancer, its cures, and anything that would lead to her recovery. She knew she would not last the year it would still take to reach the nearest starbase, even with her husband and children doing the best they could to accelerate the science vessel's engines.

A tear slipped unnoticed from her eye and down her cheek as she thought of her three children, all of whom she loved very dearly. It was for them she spent so much time searching for a way to cure this disease herself, knowing that the time away from them would prove to be worthwhile if she lived to see them grow older and have children of their own. She could not bear the thought of leaving them permanently without their mother.

It was in this state that her eldest daughter found her, the girl knocking quietly on the door to her mother's lab. Kate ushered her inside and hugged the girl closely, enjoying the momentary distraction from the harsh reality that faced them both. Wiping the tears from her green eyes, Kate gazed into their almost exact duplicate in the girl standing in front of her, and she noticed a maturity in her daughter's eyes that she had never seen before.

Deciding not to mention this, the brilliant scientist settled into the chair she had just risen from to greet her daughter. Capturing a few strands of long dark hair behind her ear, the woman smiled sadly at the girl. "What's going on, Nicci girl?" Kate asked quietly, her right hand reaching out and grasping Nicole's lightly, pulling her daughter closer.

The Q had gone through great pains to change her appearance to that of the thirteen-year-old girl who had a very close relationship with her mother – a mother who had a terminal disease and would soon after this time die a very painful death. Nicole's eyes closed tightly, trying to block out the gut-wrenching feelings that went along with that event. "Nothing, Mom. I just wanted to see you," the girl replied sadly as she stared openly at the woman before her. She had never openly defied her stepfather before, and this indiscretion of delving into her past would definitely not go unpunished. Still, as Nicole stood there and felt the heat of her mother's palm pressed against her own, she didn't seem to care what the consequences of her actions might be.

Kate smiled warmly at her eldest daughter and pulled the girl into another hug. "Well, I wanted to see you, too," she whispered into the girl's ear affectionately. "I missed you."

"I miss you every day," Nicole whispered into her mother's ear and held the embrace for as long as she could. Finally she broke free of the woman's grasp and pulled up another chair, placing it next to her mother and sitting down. "Mom?" she began quietly, her eyes never leaving her mother's face.

"Mmm?" The scientist answered her daughter, the familiar exhaustion beginning to creep up her limbs.

"How did you know you were in love with Dad?"

Kate's eyes snapped open in surprise and focused on the girl in the chair beside her own. "That's an unusual question, Nicci."

The Q shrugged and replied, "I'm just wondering, you know, in case you're not around when I fall in love."

"I hope to be around – and even if I'm not, I'm sure I'll be watching you from heaven. I'll make sure he's good enough for my girl."

Nicole shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She had long ago left behind the religion of her youth in favor of her new family and state of being, but she couldn't very well tell her mother any of that. She quickly continued in her former line of questioning, "Would you have done just about anything for him?"

Her mother laughed a little and ran a hand over Nicole's unruly red curls. "Oh, sweetie, I still would, and I'm sure he would do just about anything for me. That's what love is. You do things you never thought you would before. Does that help?"

The girl nodded. "Yes, it helps a lot."

Nicole stood up and moved slowly toward the door. Once she reached it, she turned back and took in the sight of her mother alive and well one last time. She fought the tears that were welling up in her eyes at the thought of saying good-bye again to this woman she loved. Smiling sadly, she waved awkwardly and said slowly in a soft voice, "I love you, Mom."

Kate smiled and stood up herself, making her way over to her daughter and pulling the girl into one last hug. "Thanks for coming to see me," the scientist whispered tenderly in Nicole's ear. "I hope you're happy with him," she added softly before pulling away and looking directly into her daughter's eyes. "He had better be good to you." Surprise flickered across the Q's face, but she quickly recovered, reasoning that her mother was probably speaking in terms of the future. Still, there had been something in the way the woman had looked at her, a brief moment in which the scientist who readily believed time travel was possible could have guessed her daughter wasn't the same girl she had seen only a few hours before. Shaking the odd feeling away, the Q hugged her human mother one last time and left the room.

He stood alone by a window that wasn't technically there, but a representation of a room that was inside his imagination. His graying hair was like that representation, a sign of maturity and age that he himself had fabricated, knowing that his physical appearance only changed when he wished it, not with age like mortals. Outside the window was a night sky he had seen many times and brought up at a moment's notice, perhaps enjoying the feeling of power it gave him to be able to materialize many stars at his whim.

She knew he was in a pretentious, accommodating mood, and yet still she approached him with a fear she had only experienced once or twice in her long years. Watching him, she wasn't sure what his response would be to a request she knew no Q had ever made in the history of their species. Taking a deep, symbolic breath, she stepped forward and cleared her imaginary throat.

Pivoting on one foot, his face exploded into a wide grin the moment his brown eyes settled on her face. "Nicole!" he greeted her enthusiastically. "Where have you been? It's been a while since I've noticed your mark on the radar screen of Qs. Have you been pretending to be mortal again?"

"No, Stepfather," Nicole answered humbly, coming to stand beside the man who had made her into what she was. "I no longer wish to trick mortals into thinking I am one of them."

"Well, that's good to hear," he replied, turning once again to the window. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Nicole winced, but focused her vision on a particularly bright star on the other side of the panes of glass. _"You can do this,"_ she told herself mentally before answering aloud, "I have a favor to ask of you, Stepfather, and I don't think it's one you are going to be particularly happy with."

"Oh?" he asked, moving once again to catch her eye. "And what would that be?"

Taking another deep breath to calm herself, the red haired girl began slowly, "Well, I haven't exactly been tricking any mortals lately . . . but that's because the mortals I've been spending my time with know what I am."

Shrugging, the Q known only as "Q" stared down at the girl with mild interest, sensing she was about to unload something rather important. "Nothing wrong with that," he replied idly, as if she hadn't said anything shocking. "I've done that myself. Quite fun at times, isn't it?" he asked, winking in her direction.

"Sure it is . . . at times."

"So what's the favor?" Q asked. "Do you want to do something for your mortal friends and have me look the other way? Because you know I would be more than happy . . ."

Nicole shook her head back and forth fervently. "No, that's not it."

"Then what?"

"I want you to talk to the elders and ask them if I can be made human," Nicole told him quickly, some of her words almost running together in her nervousness.

Q blinked his eyes a few times and stared at the woman before him in disbelief. After a few minutes he finally began slowly, "You . . . want me . . . to turn you human?"

"Yes."

"Are you nuts?"

"Quite possibly."

At this response to his question, Q let out a loud laugh and nodded his head. "All right, Nicole, if that's what you want, I'll talk to the elders about it. But I am almost positive they will leave the decision up to me since I am the one who made you a Q in the first place."

"And your answer would be?"

"I'll miss you, but if this is the path you choose, I won't be the one to stand in your way."

Nicole smiled. "Thank you, Stepfather."

"Just one question."

"What's that?"

"Have you talked to Teeny about this yet?"

Her gaze dropped to the floor as she shook her head back and forth slowly. "No . . . not yet."

Sam's living room was quiet with the exception of the television, which was currently playing a movie most humans knew quite well. The screen flickered with spacecraft and explosions, the middle of a space battle, when Nicole decided to appear in a flash of light directly behind the sofa. Only Daniel noticed her entrance, his eyes leaving Star Wars momentarily as his head tilted upward slightly to acknowledge her presence.

The redheaded Q smiled down at him before her vision settled on the next person in the room to take notice of her – the blonde seated comfortably in the oversized arm chair beside the sofa, her long legs pulled up to her chest and her arms surrounding them. Sam smiled at her friend and moved to join her behind the men who were just beginning to become aware of the new presence in the room. Jack waved a meek hello before quickly turning back to the movie he had personally never witnessed before. Teal'c merely inclined his head in Nicole's direction before returning his rapt attention to his favorite movie of all time.

"You okay?" Sam asked quietly when Daniel finally moved his attention back to the television.

Nicole nodded, her eyes currently glued to the top of her boyfriend's head. "Yeah, just wanted to talk to you about something."

Sam nodded and led her friend up the stairs and into her room, knowing that anywhere downstairs would not be private from the men currently lounging in her living room. "What's up?" she asked as she lowered herself into the chair situated by the window.

The Q sighed and sat down gingerly on the edge of the bed, looking out the window at the sun beginning to set. She rubbed her arms self-consciously and finally moved her gaze back to her friend seated opposite her. "I've made my decision."

"And?"

Nicole took a deep breath and replied slowly, "I've decided to become human. I already discussed it with my stepfather, and he told me he'll support me whatever I choose to do."

"And you're okay with this?"

She nodded. "I talked with my mother. I didn't tell her anything, of course, but I just feel like I'm supposed to be human. It's how I started, and besides, I love Daniel. It would be worth shortening my life to spend it with him."

Sam smiled and nodded, turning her head to gaze out the window. "Not many people find a love like that, Nicole. You're right to want to hold onto it."

Glancing down at her hands, Nicole nodded. "I know." She raised her head and smiled a little at her friend. "And I know you'll find that love, too."

Shaking her head, the blonde turned back to the woman seated on the bed. "Don't you tell me what happens and ruin the surprise for me, Nicole. I want to find out on my own."

"I would never do such a thing," Nicole replied with a grin.

"So when will this change happen? And when are you going to tell Daniel?"

"Soon, I hope. I'll tell Daniel before it happens, obviously. But first . . ." she sighed and broke off, her green eyes shifting uneasily back and forth before she continued in a low tone, "I have to tell Teeny."

Sam nodded. "Your sister, right?"

Just as Nicole was about to respond, a bright light filled the room, leaving a tall woman with long blonde hair and a defiant expression painted over her face standing in the middle of the room. "You have to tell Teeny what?" she asked, throwing a disapproving glance in the human woman's direction before placing herself next to the red head on the bed.

Nicole's eyebrows rose as she nodded her head glumly as if she had expected something like this to happen. She gestured toward her sister. "Sam, meet my sister. Teeny, this is Sam."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Teeny brushed the introduction aside, apparently not interested in meeting her sister's friend. "What do you have to tell me?"

Just then, a familiar face poked his head in the open door, his eyes widening when he saw the three women seated in the room. "Didn't you just come in here with only one of them?" he joked, pointing to Nicole and her sister.

Sam smiled and nodded. "This is Nicole's sister, Teeny."

"Ah," Jack replied as he stepped into the room. "Well, I just wanted to let you know that the movie's over, and I was just planning on sticking in the next one. Do you want me to wait?"

She shook her head. "No, I've seen it, thanks. We'll be down in a minute."

He nodded, but before he could leave, Teeny let out an exasperated sigh and commented loudly, "If you and your boyfriend need the bed to frack or something, Nicci and I can just leave."

Jack seemed frozen in the spot as he glared at the blonde woman seated next to Nicole on the bed. The woman seated by the window looked as if there was a raging inferno inside her, and if she had been a cartoon, there was no doubt smoke would have come whistling out from her ears. Standing slowly, she crossed her arms over her chest and stepped toward the Qs seated on her bed. "I do hope you're joking."

Teeny rolled her eyes, apparently not at all concerned her comment had upset the woman of the house. "Not at all. If you and your . . ." stealing another look at Jack, she continued, "Below average intelligent boyfriend want us to leave, just say the word."

"He's not my boyfriend," Sam hissed through clenched teeth. "And even if he was, we're not just animals who have to jump into bed together every chance we get. Apparently you don't understand humans as well as you thought."

If it were possible, Jack's eyes grew even wider as he watched the exchange unfold before him, his expression one of disbelief bordering on a distinct fear of his second in command's rare display of rage. Teeny merely shook her head. "I understand as much as I care to understand. Your species isn't as interesting to me as it is to Nicci and our stepfather."

"Then maybe you should think before you open your mouth."

Standing and positioning herself mere inches from Sam's face, her eyebrows raised as she replied in a soft voice, "You think I give a flying _frack_ what you and your friends think of me? You're just a lesser developed species who all think you're better than you actually are. And you . . ." her eyes narrowed on the slightly taller woman before her. "Have been filling my sister's head with so much _dren_ I can't even begin to tell you how much I hate you."

Sam shook her head. "I don't even know what _dren_ means."

"Of course you don't," Teeny replied, stepping away from the woman dramatically. "But I know you know what hate is. In fact . . ." she started, trailing off and her gaze shifting to the man still standing frozen by the door.

Nicole shook her head and turned to Jack. "Run," she told him simply. He nodded and made a very quick exit. Her gaze returned to her sister, whose hand she grabbed and pulled her back into a sitting position next to her on the bed. "Teeny, this isn't helping. We need to talk."

The younger sister huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "About what? And why do we have to do it here?"

"Yes, why do you have to do it here?" Sam asked as she sat back down in her chair, eyeing her new "guest" warily.

Nicole's green eyes found Sam's blue ones and held them for a moment before responding, "Because I could really use your support right now. Just having you around helps immensely."

Teeny rolled her eyes and retorted in a very annoyed voice, "What now? Do you two wanna hop on the bed and . . ."

She didn't have time to finish her sentence before Sam was on her feet and interrupting through clenched teeth, "Nicole, I highly suggest you do this now before I try to kill your sister."

Teeny laughed. "That would be quite impossible," she retorted.

"Shut up, Teeny," Nicole finally spat angrily, attaining the full attention of the shocked woman beside her. "I am going to tell you what I need to tell you and then you're going to leave."

"And you're not going to set foot in this house again," Sam added, her rage boiling just beneath the surface as she once again lowered herself into the chair next to the window.

"Fine, whatever. As if I care," Teeny replied, not quite succeeding in sounding unruffled by the sudden turn of events. "What do you want to tell me?"

Nicole nodded. "This isn't going to be easy for either of us."

"What do you mean?"

The red haired Q took a deep breath and stole a glance at her friend seated opposite them. Sam nodded, and Nicole continued, "I've come to a decision I know you aren't going to like. I have decided to remain here, with Daniel and the others . . . as a human."

"What? Stepfather would _never_ go for that."

"He already told me if it's what I want, he'll back me up."

Teeny shook her head and stood up slowly, her eyes never leaving her sister's face. "You're leaving me."

"It's not like that. You can visit me whenever you like."

"But . . . why? Why would you want to be human?"

Nicole sighed and raised herself up next to her sister. "Because I'm a better person this way."

"What the _frell_ are you talking about? _Better_?" She shook her head back and forth. "You think you're better than me, don't you?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying at all!"

Blonde hair flew back and forth as Teeny shook her head vehemently and stepped away from her sister. "I don't know you anymore. And I will continue to believe it's these humans that have corrupted you, no matter what you say. I will _not_ visit you when you become human. I can only hope it is a temporary thing. Good-bye, Nicci. I'll miss you." And before Nicole could respond, the blonde Q snapped her fingers and was gone.

The redhead turned to her friend and remarked sarcastically, "Well, that went well."

Sam nodded and stood up. "I think she'll be okay. She'll get over it eventually."

Nicole nodded in agreement. "Yeah, maybe."

"So, time to talk to Daniel?" Sam asked, one eyebrow lifting in a questioning manner.

"Yes. Time to talk to Daniel," the Q agreed softly.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The dark haired man turned over in bed, his hand sliding over to the pillow beside him. He was greeted only with an indentation where the head of his girlfriend used to be. Sighing, Daniel pulled himself out of bed and wrapped a bathrobe around his boxer-clad form. Then he made his way into the living room, where he heard the somewhat muted sounds of the television set.

As he suspected, Nicole was sitting quietly in front of the TV, her short legs tucked underneath her and her eyes reddened, most likely from crying. Several nights in a row Daniel had woken up to find her in the exact same position she was now, overcome with feelings of remorse over her decision to become human. Every night he had wrapped his arms around her and waited until the tears had subsided. He realized this was probably just part of the process of her accepting who she now was.

Tonight, however, he merely stood behind the sofa, leaning against it and sighing softly. "Nicole, honey, why don't you come back to bed?" he asked in a low tone, his hands finding her shoulders and applying a little pressure.

"I'm not tired," she replied in a whisper, shrugging away from his touch. "You go back to bed if you want."

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he maneuvered his way around the couch and sat down next to her. Shaking his head, he placed a comforting hand on her arm and said carefully, "I don't want to go back without you. Do you want to talk?"

She shook her head back and forth slowly. "No, I don't want to talk, Daniel. Not all problems can be fixed by talking."

"I know," he whispered gently. "But sometimes it helps."

"Not right now," she replied. Finally turning around to look at him, she gave him a weak smile and leaned into his still warm body. "But thanks," she whispered into his neck. He smiled in return and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

The next few days passed without incident. Daniel was away, off on another mission with the rest of SG1. When they finally returned, the news reached Nicole. So, still wrapped in her gloomy mood, she visited the SGC with the excuse of seeing Daniel. But instead of going to her boyfriend's office, she found herself standing in the doorway to another office somewhat similar to his. She leaned against the doorframe and watched the astrophysicist seated by her computer, tears streaking down tall blonde woman's face slowly. Shaking her head, the former Q stepped into the room and sat down next to her friend. "Hey," she whispered, putting a comforting hand on the woman's back.

Shaking her head, Sam wiped at her tears and shot a small smile toward the woman beside her. "Hey. Sorry, I think I forgot where I was for a minute. What's on your mind?"

"Right now, you. Why were you crying?" Nicole answered, a little confused as to why her friend was avoiding the subject.

Sam sighed and turned back to her computer. "It's nothing," she whispered.

Nicole snorted and folded her arms over her chest, knowing her friend better than that. She shook her head back and forth slowly. "I somehow don't think you of all people would be crying over nothing."

"The mission went badly, okay? I don't feel like talking about it."

"Okay," Nicole replied quietly. "Do you want me to go?"

Sam glanced over at her friend and shook her head, "I didn't say that." She sighed and ran a hand over her forehead slowly. "Did you need something?"

Smiling a little, Nicole shook her head no. "Not today, Sam. I'll see you later."

After meandering her way through the halls, she wandered in on a recreation room, one that had been converted into a makeshift boxing ring by Colonel Jack O'Neill. It was he she found in the room, his hands shrouded in boxing gloves, striking a large punching bag violently. All his frustrations were channeled into the object before him, the motions acting out his own personal therapy.

Unafraid of the consequences, Nicole approached him and touched his arm lightly, causing him to whip around swiftly. Breathing heavily, he raked a gloved hand across his face and shook his head. "Damn it, Nicole! Don't _ever_ interrupt me when I'm boxing!"

She nodded and backed up a few steps. "Sorry," she whispered, her eyes on the floor. "I was just wondering what you were doing."

He looked strangely at her, his eyes full of disbelief. "You've_ never_ heard of boxing before?"

She smiled a little. "Well, I have _heard_ of it. Never seen it before. It was considered a bit barbaric where I'm from."

"Barbaric. Heh," Jack responded with a small grin. Placing a gloved hand underneath his arm, he pulled his hand out of it and motioned to another pair hanging on the wall with a roll of white tape beneath them. "Bring those over here. Let me teach you a few things about this 'barbaric' sport."

She complied, a little smile playing on her lips as she delivered the tape and boxing gloves. Once he had them, he proceeded to wrap her hands tightly with the tape, making sure she watched him the entire time so that she could duplicate it later. He then slipped the gloves on over her taped hands and replaced his gloves on his own hands. "Ready?"

Shrugging, she watched as he bobbed up and down, his arms up, gloves in a protective position over his face. "So there's dancing in this sport?" she asked lightly, mimicking his movements.

He nodded. "Yeah, Teal'c didn't get that. He thinks there is a difference between dancing and boxing." He watched her closely, a smile forming on his own face. "Good, good, now move around a little bit. You gotta make it hard for me to hit you."

"You'd hit a woman, Jack?" she teased, making sure her bouncing was a little more animated.

He laughed. "Only if we're boxing or unless the woman really deserved it or I was protecting Earth or something." He took a jab at her, but purposely didn't connect. "Come on, Nicole, bend your knees. You have to keep your knees bent."

"How many rules to this game are there, Jack?"

"Rules? Not so much, but if you want to be good, there are things you need to know."

"Yeah, like what?" she asked, taking a swing at him, striking his arm gently.

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Nicole, don't go easy on me. You hit like a girl. Here, lemme show you," he said, hitting her in the shoulder, causing her to fall back a little. "And _I'm_ going easy on you because you're a beginner. But don't you dare go easy on me."

"All right, Jack. Whatever you say," she responded with a grin and another hit, this time with more force behind it.

"Good!" he praised her.

"I think I like this sport," she told him enthusiastically.

Jack tapped her shoulders and told her quickly, "Back straight, kiddo. Don't give your opponent the space or time to hit you."

She smiled and jabbed again at him, knowing he would duck her attack. "Kiddo? I'm _much_ older than you are, Jack."

He shrugged. "Maybe. But you don't have much experience as a human. In some ways, you're very new to this." He threw a punch in her direction, which she easily avoided. Smiling, he nodded and told her, "You're quick."

"Okay, I see where you're coming from." She attacked again, this time he blocked her. "I guess you can call me kiddo." She smiled and backed away a little, bringing her arms down. "Kind of don't mind. Makes me feel like you don't hate me anymore."

He studied her closely for a minute, his arms dropping to his sides before responding slowly, "I never hated you. Just didn't trust you." He looked away and began to take off his gloves slowly. "There's a difference."

"And now?" she asked, pulling the gloves off her own hands.

He laughed a little and began to unwrap the tape from his hands. "I think you're harmless," he replied, throwing his gloves into an open gym bag. "And not too bad company," he added after a few seconds, giving her a small smile.

"It's nice of you to say that," she answered softly. "I don't think Sam was too happy with my company earlier."

This comment was rewarded with a sharp look from her companion. "What's wrong with Carter?" he asked, worry creeping into the corners of his eyes.

Nicole shrugged. "Don't know. Wouldn't tell me. She just said the mission went badly. What happened?"

Jack sighed. "One of our allied worlds was destroyed."

"Which one?"

He looked at her briefly as if considering how to answer her, but must have decided it couldn't hurt, because he said softly, "Tollana."

Nicole closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "Oh. Well then that makes sense."

Jack shook his head. "Daniel didn't tell you?"

The red head bit her bottom lip and looked away. "I haven't seen Daniel since you all came back."

"Avoiding him?"

She shrugged. "Maybe."

Suddenly there was a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up at the much taller man in front of her. "Look, kiddo, I know things aren't all sunshine and rainbows right now, but he means well. You have to know that."

She nodded. "Yeah, I do, it's just . . . well, he tries to fix everything, and I know he means well, but these things take time. I just can't snap my fingers and make everything all better anymore."

Jack smiled. "I know." He took a few steps back and zipped up his bag, swinging it over his shoulder. "You gonna be okay?" he asked. She smiled and nodded. "Good. Because I have some place I need to be." Perceptively she moved out of his way and watched as he left the room, without a doubt in her mind as to where he was headed.

About five minutes later, Jack stepped cautiously into Sam's lab and leaned against her desk, watching as she typed a few words on her computer. Apparently reaching a stopping point, his second in command glanced up and asked with raised eyebrows, "Anything I can do for you, sir?"

He shook his head, noticed her reddened eyes, but didn't mention them. "How are you doing, Carter?" he asked instead, moving around the large table and closer to her. "This one musta hit you pretty hard."

She nodded and looked away, blinking away tears once again. "Yes, sir. It did." She finally turned back toward him, the tears shimmering in her clear blue eyes, and found him watching her, his own eyes filled with sympathy.

He stood there for a few seconds, which seemed like hours to the woman seated in the chair. Finally he moved closer and whispered sweetly, "Come here."

She smiled a little and practically fell into his arms, allowing him to encircle her with his comfort.

Nicole watched this from the doorway and smiled a little to herself, finally moving away from the touching scene. Turning down the hall that would lead her to Daniel's office, she shook her head in amusement at her friends, her eyes glued to the grey floor.

Suddenly she heard a voice from behind her. "What were you doing?"

She twirled to face the owner of the voice, one she knew quite well. "Daniel," she whispered, tucking some curls nervously behind her ear. "I was, uh, just coming to see you."

He closed the distance between them and looked at her curiously. "Were you," he stopped, casting a look back at Sam's still open door before turning back to his girlfriend with a little grin. "Were you spying on them?"

Rolling her green eyes, she turned and began walking in the other direction, throwing a quick reply over her shoulder, "Some things are more complicated than that."

Falling into step beside her, he shot her a confused expression. "That was cryptic. What's it supposed to mean?"

"It means, Daniel, that I don't feel like talking about it right now," she retorted angrily as she pressed the elevator button. "In fact, I don't feel like talking about much of anything right now."

Without her or her companion's knowledge, their conversation had gathered a very small audience from the doorway of Sam's office. Apparently Jack and Sam had heard the commotion in the hallway, but didn't want to interrupt anything.

Daniel shook his head. "No, you really don't feel like talking much, do you?"

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" She asked, whirling to face him.

"It means that you have isolated yourself lately, and you refuse to talk about what you're going through. I know it's not easy, but it might help to talk about it."

She huffed, turning back to the elevator doors, willing them to open. "I think I talk quite a bit, Daniel. Are you upset because it's not to you?"

"A little, yes. Nicole, we're supposed to be in a relationship here! Why do you feel like you have to talk to everyone else besides me?"

Her eyes flashed angrily in his direction before she shook her head and muttered, "I can't do this right now."

"Why not?"

"Because I am not in control of these _fracking_ human emotions yet! There is _no_ way I can be tactful in this state!" She snapped crossly, her volume rising a little, which caused Jack and Sam to retreat further into the office, still listening to the conversation outside the door.

Daniel leaned closer and responded in a low tone, "I don't care if you can be tactful, Nicole, just tell me the truth. Why can't you talk to me?"

"You really want to know?" He nodded, and she sucked in a deep breath to continue. "Because you're the reason I'm like this. I can't even look at you right now that's how upset I am."

Backing up a few steps, he looked at her with an astonished expression painted all over his face. She blinked back a few tears, but turned away and watched as the elevator doors chose that moment to open. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into it and let the closing doors block out the broken-hearted look on the man's face before her.

Jack and Sam wasted no time after they heard the elevator closing. They rushed to their friend's side, who was still standing in front of the elevator, staring at it as if his girlfriend was suddenly going to reappear on the other side of the grey doors. Jack clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder, causing his blue eyes to finally tear themselves away from the steel and settle on the man next to him. "Hey, Jack," he managed to get out.

"Hey, Daniel. Carter and I were just talking about dinner. You in? We'll go someplace that serves steak," he smiled with the last thought and shot Sam a look, asking silently if she was okay with Daniel going with them to dinner. She nodded, putting a hand on Daniel's arm in an attempt to comfort him.

The man in the middle glanced at both of them and finally cracked a small smile. "Sure, I'm game. Just let me grab a few things first."

There was a knock on Teal'c's door, causing him to stir from his relaxed position on the floor in the middle of many candles. Opening the door, he was surprised to discover the small form of Nicole, her eyes shifting uncomfortably from side to side, and her hands buried deep in her pockets. "Hey, Teal'c," she greeted him softly, her eyes scanning the room. "Am I interrupting something?"

He shook his head back and forth slowly. "I am performing the ritual of Kelnorim. Are you all right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm sorry for disturbing you."

"You are not," he insisted in his own way. "Do you wish to talk to someone?"

"Really would rather not," she replied and grimaced a little. "That's why I came to you," she explained, raising her eyebrows, hoping Teal'c would understand that she was insinuating that he wasn't one to talk a lot.

The corner of his lips raised slightly. "Would you like to come in, Nicole? Perhaps I can teach you the basics of Kelnorim?"

She smiled and nodded. "I'd like that."

An hour later, Daniel, Jack and Sam were all seated around a table at a nearby restaurant, reminiscing and laughing a little at old memories. Even though it was a sad night for all of them, they had found a small refuge in each other, ignoring the pain for the moment. Just as their food arrived and Jack had mentioned Urgo, a cell phone rang. It took a minute for them to figure out whose cell it was, but finally Daniel flipped open his and motioned to his friends before answering with a simple, "Hello?"

"Hey," her voice reached his ear, and he could tell his friends across the table could hear it, too, for they were suddenly very interested in their food. "Look, I'm sorry about before. That's just one feeling in this mish-mash of emotions that keep overwhelming me. You just happened to catch me at the wrong time."

"It's okay," he replied carefully, his eyes on his own food. "It's not like I didn't think this issue would come up eventually. I mean, it's only been a few weeks, and I know you need time to adjust. I'm sorry for pushing you."

"No, you were right. We are in a relationship, and instead of going to you, I am talking to all of your friends. You and I do need to talk."

He smiled. "I thought that's what we were doing."

He could almost see her smile into the phone. "I meant in person, Daniel." She waited a moment, then almost as an after though added, "Where are you anyway?"

"Out to dinner with Jack and Sam. You want me to come and get you?"

"No, that's okay. I got a ride home from Walter. See you when you get home?"

"Sounds good to me."

He found her in their room, lying on the bed, her back to the door, and her breathing even and rhythmic, indicating that she was asleep. Not wanting to wake her, he slipped quietly onto the bed beside her and draped his arm around her waist.

Nicole awoke with the distinct awareness that she wasn't alone. Rotating in his arms, she smiled when she saw the unconscious face of her boyfriend next to her. He was slightly snoring, but she didn't mind. Instead of waking him, she snuggled as close to him as she could and fell asleep once more.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Sighing loudly, Daniel slumped into the chair behind his desk and laid his head in his hands, taking a deep breath to calm his shaken nerves. The thought of Teal'c trapped inside the Stargate was a little too much for him to handle, even though he realized his friend was most likely unaware of his current condition. The news that was most difficult to swallow, however, was that even with the most brilliant minds in the world, there was still the very great possibility that Teal'c might not return.

Soft hands slid up his back and onto his shoulders, applying gentle pressure. His girlfriend leaned over and kissed the back of his neck, whispering tenderly, "What's the matter, sweetie?"

Straightening, he smiled sadly and captured her hands with his own and brought them to his lips, kissing them lightly. "Teal'c's in trouble, Nicole," he whispered, his small smile disappearing.

Her eyebrows furrowed with concern. "How so?" she asked, worry running its way across her features.

"The wormhole disengaged before he could rematerialize. His pattern is stuck in the buffer and not even Sam is sure how to get him out."

Nicole rolled her eyes and lowered herself onto his lap, wrapping her arms around him. "This is why I don't travel through the damn thing."

"Very funny," he replied, not looking very amused. "But it doesn't help Teal'c get out of there."

She nodded. "I know, I'm sorry. Maybe I could go help Sam. I don't know much about the Stargate, but she could at least bounce ideas off of me, and I would understand."

Daniel smiled. "That you would. And I think Sam could really use an understanding friend right now. She's taking this pretty hard."

"It's not _her_ fault," Nicole answered, giving her boyfriend a strange look.

"Yeah, I know, but try convincing her of that."

Nicole found Sam in the control room, her blue eyes glued to the computer screen and the worry shining clearly through them. The redhead sighed and sat down next to her friend, placing a comforting hand on the blonde's shoulder.

Sam looked over and gave Nicole a weak smile. "Daniel told you what happened?" she asked quietly.

The former Q nodded. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Not unless you can perform the impossible and resume a reintegration process that was cut off prematurely."

Shaking her head, Nicole answered softly, "Not anymore, sorry. But I can listen and maybe help you work through some stuff. Obviously I don't know as much as you do about the Stargate, but I'm sure whatever you want to throw at me, I'll have a general grasp of the concept."

The astrophysicist nodded, her gaze once again turning to the screen before her. "Thanks, that might actually be a lot of help."

A few hours later, Nicole had actually gleaned enough information from watching and listening to run some equations on her own. With the knowledge that Sam would be down soon, Nicole went to Sam's lab and began to run a few simulations on one of the computers. Each one was failing, fueling the former Q's frustrations and making her wish that she still could do whatever she wanted with just the snap of her fingers.

In the middle of her experiments, someone she didn't recognize entered the room, causing her to look up and take in the sight of a man dressed in civilian clothes. There was bag slung over his shoulder, and he was staring at her with the same confused expression Nicole assumed was written all over her face as well.

"Are you lost?" she asked, pressing a few buttons on the keyboard, pausing her calculations momentarily.

He shook his head. "No, I was looking for Major Carter. This is her lab, isn't it?"

Nicole nodded, folding her arms over her chest. "It is, but I haven't seen her in a while. Last I saw her, she was still in the control room."

The man shook his head back and forth as he walked toward her. "She's not there anymore. Any idea where else she would be?"

"What am I, her keeper? I have no idea where she is. Probably hard at work, like me. Any other questions?" she retorted angrily, already resenting this man for distracting her.

"Yeah, who are you?"

Nicole laughed and turned back to her work, deciding to multi-task the best she could. "I could ask you the same question."

"Dr. Rodney McKay, scientist sent over from Area 51 to help with the Teal'c situation," the man answered with a smile, his hand reaching out to shake hers.

She regarded it carefully, then finally accepted it, shaking it quickly before returning to her work. "Nicole," she told him shortly, her attention on the equations before her.

"Nicole? No title or last name to go with that?" McKay asked, his eyebrows raised suspiciously.

Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. "No, I don't need those things to feel important, unlike some people," she responded sarcastically. "Now if you don't mind, I have some more equations to run. I'm actually trying to get my friend out of that Stargate."

McKay scoffed. "And just _how_ are you going to do that?"

Green eyes flashed in his direction, burning with anger. "I don't know yet, _doctor_. That's what I'm trying to figure out. So why don't you go look for Sam somewhere else?" Grumbling, the man shook his head and left the room.

"Jack did _what_?" Nicole asked, flabbergasted. She shook her head back and forth slowly as she stared at the woman next to her. Jack, Daniel, and the Russian Colonel were all on their way to the SGC as she and Sam shared this conversation. "Of all people, _Jack_ is the one who got the info to save Teal'c?" Nicole continued, as her and Sam's smiles widened as they thought of the irony in the current situation. "And _Maybourne_ helped?"

Sam nodded. "I know, pretty hard to believe, isn't it?" she asked as they turned another corner in the hallway on their way to the Briefing Room. "I'm just glad it was in time. One more spin of the Stargate and Teal'c would have been gone."

"Life's funny like that, isn't it?" the former Q asked thoughtfully.

"Yeah, it is," Sam replied with a smile.

Just then, a man ran up beside them, falling into step with the two women, causing both of them to lose their smiles almost immediately. "What's going on?" McKay asked them, his eyes narrowing on Nicole's face when recognition set in. "Why was the dialing sequence aborted?"

Nicole didn't respond but glared right back, remembering what Sam had told her about McKay's "dumb blonde" comment from earlier in the day. It was Sam who answered the scientist's question. "Well, McKay, it turns out you were wrong and there is a way to save Teal'c after all," she replied, a smug expression sneaking its way onto her features.

"I'll believe it when I see it," McKay spat doubtfully before turning around and walking off in the opposite direction.

"He's a trip and a half," Nicole commented dryly. "Who told him he was so wonderful anyway?"

Sam laughed and shook her head. "Not me, that's for sure."

"Hey, are you really sure you want to be in there for this?" Jack asked sweetly through the intercom system. Nicole and Daniel shared a smile, both thinking how at times Jack made his feelings for his second in command very obvious.

Siler apparently thought Jack was directing his question to everyone in the Gateroom and answered warily, "Not really, sir."

Jack looked as if Siler had just walked in on a private moment between the colonel and Sam, even though there were many other people around. "Wasn't talking to you," Jack informed Siler in an irritated tone.

Sam held out her arms in an attempt to show her ambivalence to her location. "Sir, if the 'Gate blows up, it won't matter where we are on the base," she told him.

Jack leaned back and pointed at her as if to show how correct she was. "Right," he replied, the tone of his voice conveying his feelings that he should have known that all along.

Sam turned to Siler and nodded. "Do it," she told him resolutely. If she had any fear about the experiment, she didn't show it. Rather, she stepped closer to another piece of equipment and prepared herself for what was to come, hoping for the best.

Siler flipped the switch and the Stargate flared to life, electrical currents running all along it and sparks flying, due to the absence of a control crystal in the DHD connected to it. Finally a translucent event horizon formed over the interior of the ring, shimmering brightly onto the people situated in the two rooms. After what seemed an eternity, a large man stumbled out of the shimmering surface, his hands wrapped tightly around the giant weapon he was still carrying.

The event horizon disappeared behind Teal'c and Sam smiled quickly, realizing with relief that they had succeeded in rescuing their friend against all odds. Before anyone could move, however, an energy surge traveled its way from the Stargate through the conductors to the DHD, causing a massive explosion. Sam shielded her face with her arms, then turned back to look at the DHD.

The device was effectively blown up from the inside out, a gaping hole in the middle where the explosion had ruined it. Jack and General Hammond ran out of the Control Room quickly, alarmed by the sudden turn of events. Daniel and the Russian Colonel's eye were wide open, staring in shock at the once useful bargaining chip of the Russian people.

As sparks continued to fly from the now non-operational piece of technology, Daniel commented to the man standing next to him, "Well, that never happened in any of the simulations." Nicole barely stifled a giggle at her boyfriend's statement, watching the stunned expression of the Russian as he turned to look at Daniel in surprise.

As General Hammond and Jack entered the gate room, Jack told Siler quickly, "Shake it off, sparky." Then the colonel and Sam made their way up the gate ramp to meet their friend. "Teal'c, buddy!" SG1's leader exclaimed happily, "You all right?"

"Indeed," the Jaffa answered, lowering his weapon as he stepped closer to meet his friends.

"Teal'c, as far as you know, what just happened?" Sam asked, curious to know if he was aware of the time he had spent in the Stargate.

Teal'c stared at her momentarily before responding in a satisfied voice, "I have my revenge. Tanneth is dead." He then began to remove the strap from around his shoulder and handed his weapon to a nearby airman.

"That's nice," Jack replied, minor frustration edging his voice, "I'm happy for you." With that last sentiment, Jack placed his hand on Teal'c's shoulder, at which the Jaffa seemed confused.

Sam smiled. "It's good to see you in one piece, Teal'c," Sam told him, barely controlling her excitement. Teal'c bowed in appreciation of her concern.

"Yes," Jack added, "We thought we lost you again." He put an arm around Teal'c's shoulders as they began to walk down the ramp.

"Are you sure you're feeling perfectly normal?" Sam asked, following the two men.

"Yes. What has transpired here?"

"Well, believe it or not, you owe your life to a Goa'uld," Jack informed Teal'c.

As soon as they reached the end of the ramp and made their way around the now broken DHD, Jack and Sam fell into step on either side of their friend. "Never," Teal'c replied.

"Oh, yes," Jack told him.

Nicole and Daniel met them a few steps later. "There's going to be a celebration, right?" the redhead asked, a huge smile covering her face. "With cake?"

Jack nodded, putting his arm around Daniel's girlfriend and his other around Teal'c. "Oh, yes, Nicole. Lots and lots of cake." Sam smiled and shook her head as she and Daniel followed their three friends.

Humming quietly to herself, Nicole made her way through the halls of the SGC to Daniel's office. He had asked her to grab a few things for him while he and the others attended the mandatory debriefing before they headed off to Jack's house. Teal'c needed to know what had happened while he was gone, and General Hammond just wanted to make sure everything was under control before his elite team headed off base for some much deserved down time.

Turning a corner, the redhead nearly collided head-on with the man she had begun to despise seeing. McKay backed up quickly, holding his arms out to steady the woman before him. "Sorry, didn't see you there," he said, before his eyes lifted and saw who he was addressing. "Oh, it's you," he muttered, dropping his arms.

She rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. "Yeah, it's me. Sorry to disappoint you."

He shook his head. "No, it's not your fault. I have to go to Russia now," he replied angrily as he began to walk past her.

Nicole sighed, a small amount of pity creeping into her heart. "Wait," she told him, turning around to face him and watching as he did the same. "I'm sorry they did that to you. It wasn't right."

He shook his head, bewildered. "Are you trying to be nice to me? After all those things I said about Major Carter?"

_Certifiable wack-job_ came to Nicole's mind as she shook her head and managed to keep her anger in check. "Oh believe me, I am not happy with a lot of what you've said or done here, and if you _ever_ say such things about any of my friends again, I will hunt you down and kill you. I don't care how precious your mind is to the Air Force. But even so, no one deserves to be treated the way you have been, shipped off to a country like Russia without your consent."

"You're one of those 'believe in the best in everyone' persons, aren't you?"

She shrugged. "I suppose. There could be a future for you yet. Just remember you're not always right. That's something I had to learn a while ago."

He shook his head. "What would you know of it?"

"More than you think, Rodney McKay. You have no idea who I am, where I've come from, and you have no right to judge me or my friends. Maybe I'm wrong to feel sorry for you. Maybe you are just a pompous asshole after all."

"Just when I thought you were a nice person," he retorted sarcastically. "It's a shame, you are really hot."

She shook her head. "And taken. And don't ever think Sam would be interested, either." She stepped closer, her eyes narrowing on his face. "Oh, and one more thing. Sam is _far_ from being a dumb blonde. She is smarter than _you'll ever be_, and I should know." The corners of her lips lifted upward slightly. "I'm smarter than you both, and I can say that without reservation."

"Who are you?" he asked, taking a step backwards and putting some distance between them.

She smiled. "Oh, I'm sure you'll find out soon enough. Why don't you take some reading material with you to Russia? I'm sure you could get your hands on some classified files that pertain to me and my species."

"You're not . . . human?" he asked cautiously, regarding her with new eyes.

She laughed. "Well, I am now, but I haven't always been. Maybe you've heard of us? We're called 'Qs'." His eyes widened, disbelief shining clearly through them. It was apparent he had read some files she was referring to, although he had apparently never thought he would meet a Q. She shook her head and patted his shoulder as she walked by. "Have fun in Russia."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Janet Frasier stood behind Sam, their eyes fixed on the man lying on the bed in obvious pain in the room below them, the glass reflecting their own emotional expressions. The small doctor placed a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder, the taller woman's gaze not leaving their sick friend but she responded softly, "He looks awful."

"He's gonna get a lot worse, and it's going to happen fast," Janet answered in a subdued voice of her own, blinking away tears as she brought her hands together to stop from shaking.

The usually well collected military woman seated in front of the glass closed her eyes, her thumb continuing to stroke her mouth as she contemplated the fate of her friend, wishing beyond hope there was something she or Janet could do. "I'm sure you're doing everything you can," she managed to reply from behind her hand.

Janet shook her head. "Sedatives and pain killers, that's all we can really do," the doctor answered, the heartbreak evident in her tone. Both women knew how difficult it is for doctors to accept when they cannot help, especially when the person is someone close to them. "You have no idea how painful this is going to get." Sam closed her eyes again and blinked back tears. Janet looked down at her intertwined hands and softly let out a confession she knew would be understood, but still appalling to even herself, "You know, I'd never usually say this, it goes against everything I've been trained to do, but the truth is, he'd be a lot better off if I . . ." Janet's voice caught in her throat, but her seated friend knew how that sentence was going to end.

Considering it carefully, the blonde shook her head and gazed down into the room below them, watching with a heavy heart as Daniel's girlfriend made her appearance in the doorway. Nicole's face was streaked with tears, her red hair pulled haphazardly into a ponytail, and her eyes bloodshot and puffy. She grasped the doorframe tightly, so much so that the whites of her knuckles were apparent even to her friends watching from the other room. Her vision was trained on the man she loved lying in the bed a few feet from her, but she didn't make any movement toward him.

Just then, her eyes darted toward the panes of glass, connecting with Sam's and Janet's on the other side. Sam shifted as if she was going to get up, but Janet's hand landed on her shoulder again, stilling the taller woman. The doctor exited the room and reappeared next to the grief-stricken woman in the corridor below. Janet's hands wrapped lightly around the woman's shoulders, and she took a step into the medical room. Sam watched as the compassionate doctor led Nicole to Daniel's bedside, Nicole's hand reaching out and touching her boyfriend's lightly, carefully avoiding the bandages wrapped tightly around his palms. The man's eyes opened, focusing on the new face above him, and a small smile began to form on his face.

"Hey," he whispered. "There's a face I love to see."

Nicole watched in terror as Daniel convulsed on the bed under the light of the alien device. Janet immediately kicked into action, the doctor in her taking over completely. "He's seizing. Help me get him on his side."

Sam's face fell, and she panicked, her eyes widening in fear and dismay at what she had just done. "I'm sorry," she told Janet quickly, hastily stepping out of the way of other medical workers and placing a hand over her chest, where her heart was beating fast and hard. She stole a glance at the men in the other room, noticing the new arrival of Nicole next to Jack, the small woman clinging to the colonel's arm for support as she watched the scene unfold beneath them.

"Ease him back, easy," Janet ordered as the medical workers carefully placed Daniel on his back again, the man's eyes closing and unconsciousness falling as the drugs Janet pumped into him took effect. Sam took one last glance at the observation room, where her eyes connected with Nicole's briefly. The red haired woman shook her head and released Jack's arm, his look of concern lost to her as she fled the room as fast as she could.

"Nicole," Sam whispered before following her friend.

She caught up with the frantic woman in the hallway, Nicole still walking at full speed away from the room where her boyfriend's condition was rapidly declining. "Nicole, wait!" Sam shouted, running to catch up with the distraught woman.

Nicole whirled to face the taller woman, her eyes flashing with rage as she brought her fists up to Sam's chest, the blonde having no time to react before they made contact. Beating her friend with her fists, Nicole pushed Sam into the wall behind them, the alien device slipping unnoticed off of Sam's hand onto the ground as she wrapped her own hands tightly around Nicole's wrists. Knowing she'd be bruised later, Sam's strength was still more than a match for the hurting woman, and she stilled the fists without much of an effort.

"You could have killed him," Nicole breathed amidst the torrent of tears that now fell. "You could have . . ." she trailed off and lowered her arms, laying her head on her friends shoulder and just let go, weeping uncontrollably.

Surprised, Sam's eyes widened as she dropped Nicole's hands, and she tentatively placed hers on the anguished woman's shoulders. She nodded and let a few tears of her own fall. "I'm sorry," she repeated, feeling the pain rip through her own heart again.

Nicole sat quietly as she watched her sleeping boyfriend, remembering all the nice things she had heard their friends say as they had come to visit him. She had pretended she wasn't listening, but it was hard not to. Jack, in his own befuddled, round-about way, had told Daniel he respected the younger man, a compliment Nicole knew was great coming from the hardened colonel. Sam had told Daniel he had an effect on people, and he'd changed her. She now sees things that really matter, a statement that had caused fresh tears to run unbidden down Nicole's cheeks. And Teal'c had stimulated the tears once again when he told Daniel he was losing one of his greatest friends.

Finally, relief came in the form of Sam's father, Jacob Carter, the man joined with a Tok'ra symbiote many years earlier. The Tok'ra Selmak assessed Daniel's condition with the device Sam had used earlier, then informed everyone that he didn't know if he could heal the man, and even if he could, he couldn't return Daniel to his full, healthy state.

Sam summed up everyone's thoughts, "Do what you can."

They all stood around and watched Jacob/Selmak as they did their work, the device humming quietly as it performed correctly in the hands of a skilled operator. Nicole stood next to Janet and watched transfixed as it seemed her prayers were going to be answered. Prayers she hadn't been exactly sure where to direct.

"Jacob," Jack whispered, his unexpected sound capturing the attention of everyone else in the room. "Stop."

Nicole's fingernails dug into Janet's arm, but she couldn't find her voice in the midst of her astonishment and alarm. Jacob answered incredulously, "Are you serious?"

Jack's focus settled on the older man in the room as he answered softly, his voice filled with remorse, "It's what he wants."

Each person stared at Jack in disbelief, wondering why he was saying such things. Jacob turned to look at Janet and Nicole across the bed and asked pointedly, "Someone else want to tell me what to do?"

Neither woman answered, but gazed back sorrowfully at the man. Nicole looked as if she were about to start crying or yelling all over again. Still, she remained quiet, staring at Jacob with pleading eyes that were beginning to fill with tears. Even Sam blinked a few times, holding back the impending flood.

"Just let him go," Jack whispered one last time. Jacob pulled back, shutting off the device with his mind, and the humming ceased immediately. Everyone stared at the heart monitor, watching as the red lines crossed the screen indicating Daniel's beating heart.

All at once, they heard the bandaged man take one last breath and the lines become flat as a horrifying beep filled the room, indicating the man in the bed was dead. Nicole hid her face in the doctor's shoulder, clinging to the woman as if her life depended on it. "Colonel," Janet said, the fear lacing the edges of her voice.

Before he could answer, a bright light seemed to envelop the dead body on the bed. A brilliantly bright being replaced the body and began soaring upward, toward the ceiling. Everyone watched, mesmerized by the white light, and even Teal'c appeared astonished beyond belief as they watched the light ascend.

And even as the last tendrils of light disappeared from sight, everyone but Jack was staring upward after it – _him_, Nicole guessed. That had been Daniel, moving on to some other plane of existence, to "ascension", she guessed. It didn't help ease the pain as she slowly released her death grip on Janet's arm and moved away from the group of people she had come to love as friends. Flashing Jack an infuriated glance, she quickly left the room.

An hour later, the Air Force Colonel found the sobbing girl in Daniel's office, seated at his desk in the corner, in the middle of the mess that was always there. Pulling up a chair and flipping it backward, Jack sat down with a heavy sigh, and his arms came to rest on the back of the chair. He watched her for a few minutes without saying anything, but not oblivious to her angry glares in his direction as her tears slowed.

Finally, the flood stopped altogether, and she took a few deep, calming breaths. Able to compose herself at last, she fixed him with a cold glare as she spoke with an equally as steely voice, "What do you want?"

He shook his head and reached out for her arm, only to have her pull away. Sighing, he replaced his hand on the chair once again and answered carefully, "I know you're in pain, Nicole, and I don't blame you for being upset with me. But come on, you think I _wanted_ to do that?"

She blinked a few times, shaking her head back and forth as it was her turn to sigh deeply and drop her head onto the desk. "I don't know what to think anymore, Jack. Daniel's gone, and I'm still here. That wasn't something I expected to happen so soon. Actually, I was secretly hoping I'd die before he did."

Jack nodded, understanding covering his features as he reached out again and finally succeeded in connecting with her arm. "Kiddo, no one expects these things to happen."

"Doesn't make it any easier."

"I know," he whispered in response as he scooted closer.

Her head still on the desk, she turned it so that she was gazing directly into her friend's eyes. His hand retracted, and he grimaced at the depth of the pain echoed in her emerald eyes. Taking in a deep breath, she whispered almost inaudibly, "What did he say to you?"

It took him a moment to process her question, and then it finally dawned on him what she was asking. "He said . . . he said he had to go. That he could do more that way . . . and he doesn't know if he'll ever see us again."

"And he chose this . . . willingly?" she asked, fresh tears shimmering in her eyes.

Jack nodded, his eyes filled with compassion as he watched her expression change again, this time to one of utter despair. Shaking his head, he inched closer yet again, this time draping his arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him, his comfort apparently welcome. "Come on, kiddo. You know he loves . . . loved . . . loves you."

She was quiet a minute, not bothering to answer that particular sentiment. Finally, she spoke. "I'm scared, Jack."

He nodded. "That's okay, Nicole," he whispered, the use of her name not lost on her ears. "Don't worry. I've got your back."

There was a knock at the apartment door, but the red haired woman seated quietly on the sofa made no move to answer it. In fact, she made no movement at all. Her green eyes gazed dully out the window, through which sunlight streamed onto the cream colored carpet. Knees pulled up to her chest, cheeks stained with now dry tears, the formerly powerful girl's appearance betrayed her new fragility, her expression one of utter shock and fear that shimmered so delicately beneath the surface.

One more knock. Still the woman refused to move, seemingly frozen to the spot. The door opened slowly, revealing a concerned woman with short blonde hair and probing blue eyes. "Nicole?" Sam called as she entered the small apartment and closed the door behind her, slipping her lock picking tools back into her jacket pocket.

Turning, the Air Force major sighed and moved to sit by her distraught friend. "Nicole," she said again, placing a tender hand on the girl's back, causing the girl to finally turn and face her.

Green eyes stared at the newcomer for a while, her gaze not wavering from Sam's in the least. Finally she broke the silence, the corners of her lips pulling upward slightly, "That's called breaking and entering," she whispered in a teasing tone.

Sam smiled and shook her head. "Are you going to report me to the police?"

"No," Nicole answered, a small smile creeping onto her face. "You're probably untouchable by the law anyway."

"Never really thought about that before," Sam answered, tilting her head thoughtfully. She sighed again and replaced her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Have you eaten today?" she asked in a concerned tone.

"Yes, _mother_," the red haired woman intoned with a roll of her eyes and sarcasm dripping off of the last word.

Sam shook her head and folded her arms over her chest. "Nicole, I'm worried about you. If that makes me act like a mother hen, then I'm sorry, but I'm only trying to help. You haven't even left the apartment in over a week! I'm only trying to get you back to the land of the living."

Nicole regarded her friend in silence for a few minutes, her smile long forgotten in the seriousness of the moment. Finally, she sucked in a deep breath and tore her eyes from Sam's face, focusing instead on the dark television screen. "Why?" the grieving woman asked softly, the whisper so quiet it took a minute for Sam to realize what the woman beside her had uttered.

"What do you mean, why? You're not the one who died, Nicole."

"He didn't die, Sam. He left," Nicole spat crossly, her green eyes flickering with pain and a slight twinge of fury.

Sam nodded sadly, inching closer and once again reaching out to her friend, this time her hand landing on her arm, squeezing slightly. "He had his reasons. I'm not going to defend his decision or claim that I'm happy with it, either, but I do know one thing."

"What's that?"

"He loves you."

Nicole huffed and shook her head. "Not enough to stay with me."

"We don't know that."

"Oh, please. He's ascended now, isn't he? Whatever the frack that means." The red haired woman sucked in a deep breath and blinked several times before continuing softly, regret seeping into her tone, "No, Sam, he left me. He left me after I gave up everything to be with him."

Sam nodded, blinking away tears herself. "I know. I'm sorry. But that doesn't mean you should stop living the life you have now."

Nicole shrugged. "What else is there for me?"

"There could be a lot! I talked to General Hammond, and he said you could have virtually any job you wanted. A mind like yours could be a great asset to the SGC." She smiled suddenly at a thought that occurred to her. "If you weren't afraid of going through the Stargate, I'd suggest you become the fourth member of SG1."

This caused Nicole to smile a little, brightening her face slightly. "Yeah, Jack actually asked me that earlier in the week. Apparently Hammond's getting really insistent that he choose the final member. Jack's even considering that Jonas Quinn guy."

"Really?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "I asked him about that the other day, and he shot the idea down forcefully."

Another shrug from Nicole. "Guess there really aren't many options."

The blonde opened her mouth to reply, but before she could there was the unmistakable sound of a door opening and closing behind her. She turned, completely floored when she was struck with the sight of Colonel Jack O'Neill entering the living room, his arms full of what appeared to be dinner from a local restaurant. He caught Sam's eye and Nicole's grin and flashed one of his own in their direction before placing the bags full of to go boxes on the coffee table. "Carter," he greeted her casually as if his actions were nothing out of the ordinary.

"Sir," she replied slowly, watching as he moved to the kitchen and retrieved three beers out of the refrigerator. He came back toward them, handing them the cold drinks and then set to work dividing the food. Sam watched him incredulously, intrigued with the different side of her commanding officer being presented before her.

Jack brought out a chicken finger dinner and placed it in front of Nicole, whose eyes lit up as she reached excitedly for one. He reached back into the bag and looked up, meeting Sam's eyes. "Um, I didn't know you were going to be here, Carter, but we have about a million chicken fingers if you'd like some."

She nodded, feeling the familiar ache in her stomach as she watched Nicole eat greedily, the golden honey mustard dressing dripping out of her mouth and onto her shirt as she giggled softly. Jack smiled as he dished out some chicken for his 2IC, handing it to her silently before getting out some for himself. After he had a plateful, he finally sat down on the couch opposite the women and settled down comfortably.

"Hey kiddo, could we watch TV or something?" he asked, not even looking up from his food.

Sam's eyebrows dipped downward in confusion as she watched Nicole reach over and click on the television before throwing the remote at the man across from them. He smiled and immediately turned the channel to a hockey game, turning slightly so that he could see the picture from his comfy position on the couch.

As Nicole leaned back into her own spot, Sam caught her eye and mouthed discretely toward her, "Kiddo?"

The redhead burst into giggles as she nodded, effectively procuring the attention of the military commander seated on the other sofa. He watched the two women carefully, then looked down at himself. "What? Did I spill something?"

A few hours later, the lady of the apartment politely requested that her friends leave so that she could at least try to sleep. Pushing them gently out the door, she smirked when they nervously brushed each other's arms and then jumped away quickly. Rolling her eyes, she bid them good night and shut the door behind them, heading toward the balcony.

Sam and Jack walked down the apartment stairs together in silence until they arrived at her car and both of them stopped short on the sidewalk. She rocked a little back and forth on her feet, a sign of her uneasiness. "So . . . sir, you've been bringing Nicole food?"

Rolling his brown eyes, he sighed heavily and ran a hand through his graying hair. "Yeah, just fast food and stuff like that. And I know what you're thinking," he said, holding up a hand as if to stop her from saying anything, "It's all unhealthy stuff. But I'm a guy, Carter, and all I'm interested in is getting her to eat."

She smiled softly, shaking her head. "Actually, I was going to thank you."

He stared at her in disbelief and then blinked a few times. "Thank me?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "You're really taking care of her. I won't lecture you about how unhealthy it is – you're getting her to eat and that's good enough. It's more than I can say for me . . ." She trailed off, her blue eyes finding the pavement beneath her feet.

He snorted and dug his hands into his pockets, scraping the ground back and forth with one of his sneakers as he did. "Well, it helps," he murmured, watching her face closely as her eyes came back up to meet his. "It helps, you know, to keep my attention on her. It . . . hurts less."

Surprised, Sam's mouth opened partly, a startled expression falling over her face as she regarded him carefully. It wasn't like her superior to discuss his feelings at all, much less with her. This rare occurrence caused her to step forward and slip her hand into his lightly. "That's understandable," she whispered. "It's been hard on all of us, Jack," she used his name delicately, squeezing his hand a little before she pulled back toward her car and putting distance between them. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, sir."

Back on her balcony, a small smile grew on Nicole's face as she watched her two friends interact. As if she had been expecting something of this sort to happen, she reached in her pocket and withdrew a compact cell phone. She pressed a speed dial button and brought the phone up to her ear. When she received an answer, her smile split larger, and she said into the phone, "Hey, Janet. Yeah, it's me. You would not believe what I just saw."


End file.
